A nationwide health alert has been issued by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) concerning possible wood contamination in several soup and bowl products. This alert followed an FDA recall of cilantro, one of the ingredients, due to the presence of foreign materials. The affected items include popular Campbell's soups and other branded products sold under different labels. Institutions and consumers are advised not to serve or consume these products.

Thirteen products have been flagged, with the FSIS expecting additional items to be added, potentially impacting the entire country. Consumers who possess these items are urged to discard them or return them to the point of purchase. Campbell’s clarified that their recalled soups are exclusively food-service varieties, not available in retail stores.

Potential Risks Identified in Popular Soup Brands

Various soups from well-known brands, including Campbell's, have been identified as potentially contaminated with wood due to a tainted ingredient—cilantro. These soups, marketed under different labels, were shipped to locations across Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, and Ohio. FSIS cautions that further products might be added to the list, expanding the issue nationally.

The health alert encompasses multiple Campbell's soups such as Chicken Tortilla, Baja-Style Chicken Enchilada, Verve Wicked Thai-Style with Chicken, and Verve Spicy Chicken Nacho Soup. Other brands like Health Request, Vital Pursuit, Molly’s Kitchen, Sysco, and Crafted Market also feature on the list. The contamination risk stems from the inclusion of cilantro, which was previously recalled by the FDA for containing foreign substances. Retail establishments and institutions that received these shipments are strongly advised against serving these products, urging instead for their disposal or return to the seller.

Consumer Guidance Amid the Recall Crisis

Consumers possessing the listed products should avoid consuming them to ensure safety. FSIS advises throwing away the products or returning them to the place of purchase. Although Campbell’s has assured that none of its retail soups are part of the recall, the company acknowledges that some food-service varieties could be affected.

Campbell’s spokesperson James Regan emphasized that the soups involved in the health alert are specifically intended for food service use in restaurants and institutional settings, never sold directly to consumers through retail channels. Therefore, individuals purchasing Campbell’s soups in cans or bowls at grocery stores can rest assured that these items remain unaffected. For those seeking more information, a comprehensive list of impacted products, inclusive of product numbers and sell-by dates, is accessible via the FSIS website. By following these guidelines, both consumers and institutions can mitigate potential health risks associated with the contaminated products.