Minnesota Company Recalls Milk Products Over Salmonella Fears
The FDA announced a recall of milk products on its website yesterday:
Plainview Milk Products Cooperative, Plainview, Minn., is voluntarily recalling instant nonfat dried milk, whey protein, fruit stabilizers, and gums (thickening agents) that it has manufactured over the past two years, because they might be contaminated with Salmonella.
Fortunately, no illnesses have yet been linked to the recall. The recall was initiated when the FDA inspected the Plainview facility and "found that some of the equipment was contaminated with Salmonella." The FDA was inspecting the plant as a result of testing done by the USDA that found Salmonella in a company product not intended for retail sale.
Hopefully, the recall was announced in time to avoid human illness. The sequence of events is an excellent example of why companies shouldn't be fighting tooth and nail against increased inspection and testing. If the USDA and the FDA had not uncovered both contaminated product and equipment, it would have been much more likely that ongoing contamination of product, and therefore human illness would have eventually resulted. This recall can only rightly be viewed as the less expensive outcome for both the company, and consumers.
