Warning on Italian sausage products with possible Salmonella (with photo)

The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) today (January 26) advised people not to consume certain ready-to-eat Italian sausage products,including salami/salame which were suspected of being contaminated with Salmonella.

The affected products are all Daniele brand Italian sausage products containing black pepper. US authorities said that the manufacturer, Daniele International Inc, was recalling these products in the United States.

'The US authorities informed the CFS today that some of the affected products had been exported to Hong Kong. The CFS understood that the products such as "Daniele Naturale Salame coated with coarse black pepper 3oz" and "Daniele Genoa Salame Pepper 1kg" had been sold in some supermarkets. The CFS had requested the concerned supermarkets to stop selling these products. If consumers have bought the products, they should not consume them, and should seek medical advice if they develop symptoms,' a CFS spokesman said.

Salmonella is a pathogen that may cause food poisoning. The symptoms include nausea, fever, abdominal pain, diarrhoea and vomiting. The symptoms are more severe in infants, the elderly and patients with weak immune systems.

"The centre has alerted the food trade to stop selling the affected products. We will continue to closely communicate with the US authorities and follow up the incident," he said.

Note: Information on the affected products recalled in the United States can be found at USDA website: http://www.fsis.usda.gov/News_&_Events/Recall_006_2010_Release/index.asp

One of the Italian sausage products which is suspected of being contaminated with Salmonella

Ends/Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Issued at HKT 18:49