More than 100 candy and chocolate products made by Strauss Israel and sold in the United States are now under recall, according to the Food and Drug Administration.
Salmonella was found in both the production line and in liquid chocolate at the Israeli factory that made the affected items, according to the FDA news release.
The FDA warns that the items could be infected with salmonella, which can cause diarrhea, fever and stomach cramps. In infants, people 65 or older and people with weakened immune systems, salmonella may cause serious illness or even death.
Strauss Israel said the voluntary recall involves products sold in the kosher market across the country under the brand name Elite. The sweets were primarily distributed in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, California and Florida, but they were also sold straight to consumers via online vendors such as Amazon.com, Fresh Direct, Passover.com and all Retailer Online Sites.
The recall covers all U.S. product codes for the items, which include Elite Chocolate, Cakes, Wafers, Energy Grain Snacks, Energy Chocolate Rice Cakes, Chewing Gum and Toffee Candies.
Israeli health officials released a scathing report Sunday that accused the Strauss Group of a number of oversights and failures that may have contributed to the salmonella spread, according to the Times of Israel.
Among several issues that may have contributed to the salmonella danger, investigators said there had been an intrusion of pigeons into the facility, according to The Jerusalem Post. Strauss Israel acknowledged that the birds did enter a liquid chocolate factory toward the end of March, but said in a statement on their website that the production line itself wasn’t exposed and someone was “immediately” called to remove the pigeons. According to the report, no tests were done that might have linked bird droppings to the salmonella contamination.
The report also alleged the following infractions: making chocolate while the facility was undergoing maintenance, failing to employ a food safety manager after replacing the quality-control team last year and not following milk thawing and storage guidelines that help prevent salmonella contamination.
“We’ve never dealt with an event like this and it’s the biggest recall in Strauss history,” Strauss Group chairperson Ofra Strauss said at a press conference on April 28, the Times of Israel reports. “We will only open the factory when we are sure that everything is safe. I am the chairperson of the company and have been part of all the decisions over the past week. We have all been working hard throughout this week.”
As of Sunday, there were 21 possible salmonella cases in Israel that had links to Strauss Israel, according to the Health Ministry. No illnesses had been reported in the U.S. as of publishing time, the FDA reports.
See a full list of the recalled items below:
KayCo’s Item NumberProduct DescriptionUPCSize of Package161454ELITE HAZELNUT & ALMOND MILK CHOCOLATE BAR77245110825100 g161406ELITE MILK CHOCOLATE BAR WITH STRAWBERRY CREAM815871010283100 g161405ELITE POPPING ROCKS MILK CHOCOLATE BAR815871010337100/90 g161429ELITE WHITE CHOCOLATE BAR815871011471100 g161457ELITE WHITE CHOCOLATE BAR815871012799 161453ELITE MILK CHOCOLATE WITH BERRY FLAVOR TRUFFLE CREAM BAR815871011105100 g870958ELITE BITTERSWEET CHOCOLATE BAR (P) SPECIAL ORDER7290000170077100 g161401ELITE BITTERSWEET CHOCOLATE BAR77245109973 161451ELITE BITTERSWEET CHOCOLATE BAR77245107214 161400ELITE MILK CHOCOLATE BAR77245109966100 g161450ELITE MILK CHOCOLATE BAR77245107146 870957ELITE MILK CHOCOLATE BAR (P) SPECIAL ORDER7290000170053 161409ELITE MILK CHOCOLATE WITH PRALINE CREAM815871015028100 g161412ELITE MILK CHOCOLATE WITH HAZELNUT PIECES815871015035100 g161413ELITE AERATED MILK CHOCOLATE81587101543190 g161414ELITE MIX CHOCOLATE WITH WAFER ROLLS AND COCONUT81587101545595 g161416ELITE MIX CHOCOLATE WITH COOKIES AND CARAMELIZED HAZELNUTS81587101546295 g161410ELITE WHITE & MILK CHOCOLATE BAR WITH STRAWBERRY CREAM815871014502100 g161404ELITE MILK CHOCOLATE BAR WITH LENTILS815871010252100 g161411ELITE WHITE CHOCOLATE WITH COOKIE PIECES815871015707100 g161405ELITE POPPING ROCKS MILK CHOCOLATE BAR81587101033795 g161445ELITE EXTRA CREAMY MILK CHOCOLATE WITH VANILLA & COOKIES81587101229495 g161446ELITE EXTRA CREAMY MILK CHOCOLATE WITH STRAWBERRY & COOKIES81587101228795 g161443ELITE EXTRA CREAMY MILK CHOCOLATE81587101231790g161434ELITE CHOCOLATE WITH STRAWBERRY CREAM81587101252250 g161460ELITE COLLECTION DARK CHOCOLATE 70%815871011860100 g161461ELITE COLLECTION DARK CHOCOLATE 85%815871011853 161408ELITE BLONDY WITH HAZELNUT CREAM815871015011100 g / 3.5 oz161407ELITE BLONDY WITH MILK CREAM815871015004100 g / 3.5 oz160420ELITE BIG BITE PESEK ZMAN81587101018455 g160422ELITE 45g PESEK ZMAN81587101014645 g160306ELITE MINI PESEK ZMAN CHOCOLATE BAR77245108310400 g160416ELITE PESEK ZMAN WAFER ROLL81587101149540 g160533ELITE PESEK ZMAN ULTIMATE HAZELNUT CREAM81587101530145 g160534ELITE PESEK ZMAN ULTIMATE COFFEE CREAM81587101531835g160357ELITE MINI PESEK ZMAN815871015233400 g160429ELITE PESEK ZMAN PLAY BALL81587101534945 g160595ELITE BLONDY PESEK ZMAN81587101424345 g160317ELITE MINI PESEK ZMAN MIX815871015899400 g160305ELITE MINI MEKUPELET KP77245109058400 g160354ELITE MILK CHOCOLATE LOG7724510175525 g160355MINI CARAMEL815871011464190 g160358ELITE MINI COCONUT CREAM CHOCOLATE BARS815871014977200 g160359ELITE MINI NUTTY CREAM CHOCOLATE BARS815871014984200 g160463ELITE NUTTY CREAM CHOCOLATE BAR81587101465645 g160310ELITE MINI SNAP CHOCOLATE BAR77245108303400 g160449ELITE SNAP BAR81587101330745 g160522ELITE WHITE SNAP BAR81587101174745 g160323Mini Snap no added Sugar family Bag815871016865220 g160308ELITE TAAMI BAR81587101015340 g160316ELITE WHITE TAAMI BAR81587101532540 g160448ELITE CRUNCH MILK CHOCOLATE & CREAM BISCUIT815871012256100 g160318ELITE MINI CHOCOLATE BISCUIT CRUNCH81587101310920g160590ELITE SWEET @ MIDNIGHT MILK CHOCOLATE815871014229200 g160591ELITE SWEET @ MIDNIGHT WHITE CHOCOLATE815871014236200 g160412ELITE SHTIX WITH CREAM AND POPPING ROCKS81587101104498 g160413ELITE SHTIX WITH CREAM AND LENTILS81587101105198 g160411ELITE SHTIX WITH MILK CREAM – 8 PIECES81587101103798 g160456ELITE SHTIX WITH MILK CREAM – 8 PC815871011822 160352ELITE MINI MIX CHOCOLATE77245111303400 g160311ELITE MINI MIX CHOCOLATE BAR815871012959390 g160315ELITE ASSORTED MINI MIX – SMALL BAG815871012966190 g160309ELITE TUV TAAM CHOCOLATE WAFER815871013383400 g160439ELITE TORTIT MEGADIM 40GR81587101220140 g160476ELITE MILK CHOCOLATE COATED RICE CAKES – KITNIYOT81587101188470 g160319ELITE NIMNIMS SINGLE PACK81587101509740 g160304ELITE CHOCOLATE BUTTON SHAPED CANDIES – 10 PACKS815871015660170 g160240ELITE CHOCOLATE HEARTS WITH HAZELNUT CREAM81587101297350 g160510ELITE MILK CHOCOLATE COINS74613200174315 g160511ELITE BITTERSWEET CHOCOLATE COINS74613200125515 g160105ELITE STRAWBERRY FLAVORED TOFFEE – SMALL BAG815871010344200 / 600 g160106ELITE STRAWBERRY FLAVORED TOFFEE – LARGE BAG815871010368 160806ELITE SUGAR FREE BLUEBERRY MUST GUM81587101312328 g160804ELITE SUGAR FREE SPEARMINT MUST GUM81587101012228 g160717ELITE MUST SPEARMINT GUM – IN A CUP81587101204166/28 g160804ELITE SUGAR FREE SPEARMINT MUST GUM815871010122 160716ELITE MUST REFRESHING MINT GUM – IN A CUP81587101203466 g160805ELITE SUGAR FREE LEMON MINT MUST GUM81587101311628 g160800ELITE SUGAR FREE CHERRY MUST GUM7724511076428/66 g160842ELITE CHERRY GUM WITH SUGAR815871016209 160860ELITE S/F SPEARMINT MUST GUM kitniyot81587101276828 g160843ELITE GRAPE GUM WITH SUGAR81587101599866 g160840ELITE SPEARMINT GUM WITH SUGAR81587101462566 g160841ELITE REFRESHING MINT GUM WITH SUGAR81587101463266 g160861ELITE S/F CLASSIC BAZOOKA GUM kitniyot81587101274466 g /28 g160715ELITE BAZOOKA BUBBLE GUM – IN A CUP815871011778 160704ELITE TUTI FRUITY BAZOOKA GUM815871010504 160702ELITE GRAPE BAZOOKA GUM81587101046728 g160756ELITE ORIGINAL BAZOOKA GUM (BAG)815871012638190 g160706ELITE FRUIT BAZOOKA GUM (BAG)77245102219 160478ELITE GLUTEN FREE CHOCOLATE WAFERS – KITNIYOT815871011945400g / 200 g160230ELITE GLUTEN FREE CHOCOLATE FLAVORED WAFERS815871013161 160928ELITE CHOCOLATE WAFERS815871013147200g160210ELITE PESEK ZMAN SPREAD 12.3OZ815871013079350g160205ELITE CHOCOLATE SPREAD – DAIRY77245110306500g160201ELITE CHOCOLATE SPREAD815871010177500g160502CHOCOLATE COINS MILK DISPLAY BINS ELITE815871010382 160504CHOCOLATE COINS MILK Walmart DISPLAY TRAYS ELI815871011167 160402CHOCOLATE BAR SHIPPER MEGADIM ELITE (D)815871010023 160452CHOCOLATE BAR SHIPPER 3.5OZ [P] ELITE73490154324 160241CHOCOLATE HEARTS SHIPPER MEGADIM ELITE (D)73490154485
Customers who bought the items are advised to return them to the place of purchase for a full refund. Strauss Israel encourages customers to communicate with them via Facebook, email (eliterecall@kayco.com) or their website.