OTTAWA, ONTARIO--(Marketwire - March 13, 2010) -

Audio clips available at www.inspection.gc.ca/english/corpaffr/relations/indexaude.shtml.

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) is warning the public not to consume the foods described below because these products may be contaminated with Salmonella. These foods contain dry powder and paste hydrolyzed vegetable protein (HVP) ingredients which have been recalled in the U.S. and Canada by Basic Food Flavors Inc. due to Salmonella contamination.

This is an ongoing food safety investigation. The CFIA is working with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to identify and remove all affected products imported into Canada from the U.S. The CFIA is also working with Canadian manufacturers to recall foods containing affected HVP ingredients. As more products are identified, the CFIA will continue to update its list of recalled products.

The following foods, manufactured in Canada, are affected by this alert:

These products may have been distributed nationally.

For the complete list of recalled products, including those listed above; please visit our Web site at: http://www.inspection.gc.ca/english/corpaffr/recarapp/2010/salmonellaprotbe.shtml.

There have been no reported illnesses in Canada associated with the consumption of these products.

Food contaminated with Salmonella may not look or smell spoiled. Consumption of food contaminated with these bacteria may cause salmonellosis, a food borne illness. In young children, the elderly and people with weakened immune systems, salmonellosis may cause serious and sometimes deadly infections. In otherwise healthy people, salmonellosis may cause short-term symptoms such as high fever, severe headache, vomiting, nausea, abdominal pain and diarrhoea. Long-term complications may include severe arthritis.

The manufacturers are voluntarily recalling the affected products from the marketplace. The CFIA is monitoring the effectiveness of the recall.

For more information consumers and industry can call the CFIA at 1-800-442-2342 / TTY 1-800-465-7735 (8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Eastern time, Monday to Friday).

For information on Salmonella, visit the Food Facts web page at: http://www.inspection.gc.ca/english/fssa/concen/cause/salmonellae.shtml.

For information on all food recalls, visit the CFIA's Food Recall Report at: http://active.inspection.gc.ca/eng/corp/recarapp_dbe.asp.

To find out more about receiving recalls by e-mail, and other food safety facts, visit our web site at: www.inspection.gc.ca.