Mondelez International has announced a voluntary recall of a broad range of Ritz products that could be contaminated with salmonella. They include a variety of Ritz and Ritz Bits cracker sandwiches containing cheese-flavored fillings. The culprit, according to Mondelez, is potentially contaminated whey powder that has been recalled by the supplier.
Salmonella is a lethal microorganism, causing 1.2 million illnesses and 450 fatalities in the U.S. Each year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Young children and the elderly are particularly vulnerable, which is notable in this case because Ritz sandwiches are a popular snack for kids.
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Mondelez—which spun off from Kraft Foods in 2012—has published a detailed list of the 16 products impacted by the recall. They include Cheese, White Cheddar, and Cream Cheese-flavored cracker sandwiches, in a variety of packages, with expiration dates from January to April of 2019.
Recent weeks have seen a spate of salmonella outbreaks, with other recalls impacting packages of pre-cut fruit and Kellogg’s Honey Smacks cereal. More than 150 people were sickened in those two cases, but Mondelez says no illnesses have been reported in connection with the recalled Ritz products. As with most such recalls, however, consumers are advised to immediately dispose of any impacted product.
