A few years ago CDC foodborne illness outbreak guru Robert Tauxe told a group of food safety folks that the next big thing for food safety was low-moisture ingredients. Salmonella is hardy, especially when stressed through drying, so it sticks around for a while. It might not grow much without available water, many low-moisture foods are also high-fat which protects the pathogen in the gut and leads to a lower mean infectious dose. Tauxe’s comments were post- Salmonella Tennessee in Peter Pan peanut butter and pre- Salmonella Wandsworth in Veggie Booty (and other outbreaks) and he talked about dried spices and flavorings and peanut butter-type products like hummus and tahini.

Add food grade ground limestone into the mix.

According to an FDA recall notice,

Omya Inc. is voluntarily recalling certain lots of food grade ground limestone products processed at its Superior, Arizona plant because of the possible presence of Salmonella. There have been no reports of any illnesses or adverse health effects associated with any of Omya’s food grade ground limestone products. Although an investigation is still ongoing, Omya is recalling specific lots of Omya-Cal FG-4 AZ, Omya-Cal FG-10 AZ and Omya-Cal FG-15 AZ in the U.S. as a precaution.

Omya’s food grade ground limestone products were sold to distributors and/or manufacturers as ingredients for further processing in the U.S. The food grade products were not distributed for retail sale to consumers.

This ingredient is often used for texture and color in chocolates, cream fillings, frostings and chewing gum.