See my earlier post on Veggie Booty

This warning is based on 52 reports of illness (may be as high as 55) across 17 states, beginning in March 2007. Almost all the illnesses have occurred in children under 10 years old, with the most cases in toddlers. Most persons had reported bloody diarrhea; four were hospitalized.

States reporting illnesses include: California (seven cases), Colorado (five cases), Connecticut (one case), Georgia (one case), Indiana (one case), Massachusetts (three cases), Minnesota (two cases), New Hampshire (two cases), New Jersey (two cases), New York (13 cases), Oregon (one case), Pennsylvania (three cases), Tennessee (one), Texas (one), Vermont (three cases), Washington (four cases), and Wisconsin (two cases).

In the last 15 years, I have done several thousand Salmonella-related cases.  Here are the symptoms to watch out for:

* Diarrhea, particularly bloody diarrhea
* Abdominal cramps
* Fever

Symptoms typically begin within one to four days after exposure to the bacteria. In infants, persons with poor underlying health and those with weakened immune systems, Salmonella can invade the bloodstream and cause life-threatening infections.

Some additional interesting news:

Tom Incantalupo of News Day had an interesting take on the recent recall:

Veggie Booty snack recalled for possible salmonella

Robert’s American Gourmet Food was in the news earlier this month when company president Robert Ehrlich claimed in a lawsuit that Sea Cliff village officials have been harassing him over a coffee bar and restaurant he runs because he is Jewish. Village officials denied the charges, and a federal jury ruled against him.

Tom Perrotta of the New York Law Journal wrote on February 7, 2006:

Court Rejects Class Settlement and Attorney Fees in Suit Over Nutrition Data

A $3.5 million class action settlement — and $790,000 in attorney fees — over snack foods that were found to have more fat than advertised has been thrown out by a state appeals court in Brooklyn. The Appellate Division, 2nd Department’s ruling in Klein v. Robert’s American Gourmet Food, Inc., 2003-00553, found that the trial judge who approved the settlement did not adequately consider the relevant factors in certifying a class over Pirate’s Booty snacks, created by Robert’s American Gourmet Food, Inc., and manufactured by Keystone Food Products. It remanded the case for further consideration.

I must tell you – given the legal track record of the company, one wonders at the legal strategy they will use after poisoning 52 children under the age of 10 – good luck.  Also, you must see Robert Ehrlich on: "The Big Idea with Donny Deutsch" on YouTube
You can Google "Robert Ehrlich Booty" too. 

We have been contacted by over a dozen families and we are continuing to investigate claims.  Several of the parents reported frustration because they thought they were serving their kids a "healthy" snack.  The fact that we had some in our own house really drives home the point that food safety has to be important to all of us.  I found this video of a baby eating booty on YouTube.