Beware the wrath of the Hershey! Recall on these babies. Check your chocolate stock.
[H2][FONT style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #ffbfdf"]Wide variety of Hershey chocolate products recalled because of salmonella fears[/FONT][/H2]
[DIV class=para12 id=article] MISSISSAUGA, Ont. - A variety of Hershey chocolate products and candies were voluntarily recalled Sunday because of fears of salmonella contamination at a Smith Falls, Ont., factory.
There have been no illnesses reported, but the company is concerned about the potential of salmonella contamination at the company's plant in Smiths Falls, Ont.
Stephanie Moritz, a spokeswoman for Hershey said that the contamination was from "an externally sourced ingredient" and had been found in "a minor ingredient used in chocolate making."
Hershey brand chocolate bars, chocolate chips, Oh Henry! bars, Reese Peanut Butter Cups, and Cherry Blossom sweets were among the affected products.
None of the recalled products were produced for Halloween or Christmas products.
Speaking from Ottawa, Moritz said the recall had only affected a limited number of products, "Most of the products in question are either already in our control or are currently being retrieved from our customers."
Canadian Food Inspection Agency officials said they were told by Hershey that it doesn't appear there was a widespread delivery of the affected products to stores.
"The majority of the product is still in their distribution system, in their warehouses and at their facility, there has been a limited amount of product that has been released," said Garfield Balsom, a CFIA spokesman, in an interview.
It was not clear where in Canada the affected products may have ended up and it's not known how long that will take to find out, said Marie-Andree Lefebvre, another CFIA spokeswoman.
"You don't always have all the answers, but you need to do something," she said in a telephone interview from Ottawa.
"That's why we decided... to inform the public. Everybody eats chocolate, that's why it's a big recall."
The recall involves chocolate produced at the Smiths Falls factory between Oct. 15 and Nov. 10, Lefebvre said.
[FONT style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #ffffbf"]The recalled chocolate and candy can be identified by date codes found on the back of each package - the affected date codes range from 6417 to 6455. [/FONT]
Consumers should check codes on chocolate bars they purchase as not every product on store shelves are affected.
"For example, it's not all the Oh Henry! bars that are affected by this recall," Lefebvre said.
The Hershey plant in Smiths Falls opened in June 1963 and produces 45,000 kilograms of chocolate a year.
Production at the factory, which employs 500 people, was shut down last week with no word on when it will resume.
Consumers who have purchased the items in question can contact Hershey at 1-800-468-1714.
[FONT style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #ffffbf"]The affected products are: [/FONT]
[FONT style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #ffffbf"]Chipits Milk Chocolate Chips - 270 gram [/FONT]
[FONT style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #ffffbf"]Hershey Creamy Milk Chocolate with Almonds - 43 gram [/FONT]
[FONT style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #ffffbf"]Hershey Creamy Milk Chocolate - 45 gram[/FONT]
[FONT size=1]Source: [/FONT][A href="vny!://www.canada.com/vancouversun/news/story.html?id=6576a4f6-666a-48b9-9eaf-9c3f48dd3442&k=32980"][FONT size=1]vny!://www.canada.com/vancouversun/news/story.html?id=6576a4f6-666a-48b9-9eaf-9c3f48dd3442&k=32980[/FONT][/A]
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