Danisco, one of the world’s biggest suppliers of ingredients, is leading 2024's serious food recalls almost halfway into the year.
The company, owned by chemical firm IFF, recalled 36 products on May 3 totaling more than 593 tons of ingredients for creamer, dough, yogurt, iced coffee and other foods because of potential salmonella contamination, according to a U.S. Food and Drug Administration filing.
On June 6, the FDA placed the 36 products under its Class I category, its most serious classification, due to the potential for the products to cause severe illness.
Salmonella can cause diarrhea, fever, nausea and vomiting, but some forms of the bacteria can lead to more serious infections. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates there are around 1.35 million salmonella infections a year, with most coming from food.
Food manufacturers use Danisco's ingredients, according to IFF's website. The 36 products shipped to 24 U.S. states, including California, Florida, Texas and New York.
A spokesperson for Danisco-owner IFF told ConsumerAffairs the company's recall was triggered by an undisclosed supplier issuing its own recall and that testing has come up negative for salmonella, but customers are in the process of returning or destroying the products.
“We issued a voluntary recall, stemming from our supplier issuing a voluntary recall. We are not aware of any consumer complaints related to the products subject to the recall. Extensive testing of the material has proved negative for salmonella," the IFF spokesperson said.
"All affected customers have been notified and are in the process of returning or destroying product, in consultation with the FDA. We continue to work closely with the FDA on this ongoing issue stemming from one of our vendors,” the spokesperson added.
No public announcements were made by Danisco or the FDA regarding the recall, except the agency's enforcement filing. Under FDA rules, companies that voluntarily recall products are given more leeway in how they decide to inform the public.
How do 2024's food recalls stack up?
These are Danisco's first recalls in its history, according to the FDA's database. Danisco currently holds the top spot for the number of food or cosmetic products recalled in 2024 so far under the FDA’s Class I category. It is followed by Herold Salads with 32 products and HandNatural with 15 products.
Still, 2024 has been a quiet year for Class I food recalls. Some 282 food or cosmetic products have been recalled this year, down from 1,191 in 2023.