Robert Kessler (a.k.a “the booty reporter”) continues to follow the story of finger-pointing of behalf of the makers of Veggie Booty. Frankly, we think Robert's American Gourmet should take full responsibility for sickening at least 61 customers and to stop trying to put the blame on upstream suppliers inside and outside the United States.

Salmonella in Veggie Booty spice linked to China

Federal and private labs have narrowed the source of the salmonella-contaminated seasonings in the Veggie Booty snacks to two New Jersey subcontractors that provided some of its ingredients, according to the seasoning's producer.

The seasoning is made by Atlantic Quality Spice & Seasonings of Edison, N.J. Yesterday company president Stan Gorski said the seasoning is a mixture of ingredients purchased from four subcontractors, though the contaminant itself probably originated in China.

The most likely original source of contamination was vegetable ingredients purchased from China by the subcontractors, according to several executives at Robert's American Gourmet and Atlantic Quality Spice, but that has not been definitively established.