HVP recall continues – but far smaller than feared

Two more products have been recalled due to the possibility that they may contain salmonella-tainted hydrolyzed vegetable protein (HVP) from Basic Food Flavors – but fears of a large-scale recall have proved unfounded.

At the beginning of March, Food and Drug Administration (FDA) officials said they had found salmonella on equipment at Basic Food Flavors’ Las Vegas, Nevada facility. A customer had alerted the agency after it reported salmonella contamination of the company’s HVP through the FDA’s Reportable Food Registry. Due to the ingredient’s ubiquity and its complex supply chain, the resulting recall was widely expected to balloon over the next few weeks or months.

HVP is a common flavor enhancer used in thousands of food products, including soups, sauces, frozen dinners, cheese, hotdogs, dips and seasoned snacks.

MiDAS Foods International is the latest company to add products to the recall list, with its Instant Beef Soup dry mix and Instant Beef Stroganoff sauce mix, which were sold to food manufacturers in Florida and Tennessee. However, the two products are the first to be recalled since April 1, when 177 products were on the list.