Candy recalled as dire warning issued

Two candy products have been recalled from stores due to concerns of potentially fatal Salmonella contamination.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced on Friday that two white-coated confectionary items made by Palmer Candy were being pulled from shelves in Texas and New Mexico because there was a potential for contamination with the bacteria from an ingredient that was potentially contaminated from one of their suppliers.

The FDA said: “Salmonella is an organism that can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems. Healthy people infected with Salmonella often experience fever, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain.

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“In rare circumstances, 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.”

The Palmer Candy products that are potentially affected are Chocolate Caramel Corn and Candy Tray that have sell through dates from August 26, 2024 up to and including September 12, 2024. They are sold at Albertsons Market, Amigos Market Street and United.

The affected products can also be identified by their lot codes—20942400000 and 20647600000.

Newsweek contacted Palmer Candy by website form and Albertsons Companies by email outside of business hours to comment on this story and will update it if they reply.

Those who have purchased the products should dispose of them or return them to stores for a refund, the food regulator said.

It also said there have been no reports of injuries or adverse reactions due to consuming the products, but that those concerned should contact a health care provider.

Salmonella is the most common cause of food poisoning in the U.S., and several potentially tainted food products have previously been recalled over concerns about contamination, including chia seeds.

Symptoms of the infection, also known as salmonellosis, can appear between six hours to six days following the consumption of the tainted food, according to the U.S. Food Safety and Inspection Service. The infection typically lasts from four to seven days.

According to a report by the insurance group Sedgwick, the number of recalls in the U.S. reached its highest single-quarter total in over five years at the beginning of 2024. The report takes into account recalls for the automotive, consumer product, food and drink, medical device, and pharmaceutical industries. In the first three months of the year, 909 recalls were reported across all five categories.

The FDA said that customers with questions should contact Albertsons Companies’ Customer Service Center at 1-877-723-3929 Monday through Friday from 5 a.m. to 9 p.m. PST.