Statement from FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb, M.D. on voluntary recalls of Ritz, Goldfish and other products issued out of an abundance of caution

FDA Statement

• For Immediate Release: July 24, 2018
• Statement From: Scott Gottlieb, M.D.

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The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is working with Mondelēz International, Inc., Pepperidge Farm Inc. and Flowers Foods, Inc. to initiate voluntarily recalls of certain products due to a potential risk that one of the ingredients may have been contaminated with Salmonella. Recalled foods include a variety of Mondelēz’s Ritz cheese sandwiches and Ritz Bits cheese products, certain Pepperidge Farm’s Goldfish, and Flowers Foods’ Swiss Rolls sold under various brand names. Additional information about each specific recall is available on our website. We recommend people discard or return any recalled product to the store where it was purchased.

There is no evidence at this time that anyone was sickened from one of these products, or that these products are contaminated. These recalls are being initiated because of a potential risk, and out of an abundance of caution. We are investigating this potential risk and closely monitoring whether there are any reported cases of food related illness associated with any of these products.

We believe these products may contain a common whey ingredient supplied by Associated Milk Producers Inc., that may have been contaminated with Salmonella. As there are likely other food products made by other manufacturers that also use this common ingredient, there may be other recalls initiated in the coming days. We are also aware that our partners at the U.S. Department of Agriculture are working with Pinnacle Foods Inc. on a public health alert regarding certain Hungry Man products that may also contain this ingredient.

It’s early in our investigation, and to date there have been no cases of illnesses associated with any of these recalled products. I want to reinforce that, at this time, this is a cautionary step and we appreciate that these companies are taking these measures.

Our staff is actively engaged in this investigation and we take this very seriously. We know that these are products that are widely eaten by consumers, including children. That’s, in part, why we are taking steps to intervene early on this potential risk, and why we will be communicating regularly with the public to provide information and updates on this issue.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration, an agency within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, protects the public health by assuring the safety, effectiveness, and security of human and veterinary drugs, vaccines and other biological products for human use, and medical devices. The agency also is responsible for the safety and security of our nation’s food supply, cosmetics, dietary supplements, products that give off electronic radiation, and for regulating tobacco products.