Palmer Candy Issues Nationwide Recall For Severe Health Risks

Palmer Candy issued a recall of a wide variety of its products in May this year because one of its suppliers notified it that there was potential salmonella contamination in its white confectionery coating. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has the full list of items on its website — it consists of white-coated items such as Classic Yogurt Pretzels, Frosted Patriot Pretzels, Munchy Medley, and more, sold at retailers such as Dollar General, Target, and Walmart.

These products were distributed in Alabama, California, Florida, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Texas, Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) states that people affected with salmonella typically first develop symptoms six hours to six days after being infected. Symptoms can include fever, stomach cramps, and diarrhea. The main concern is that severe cases of salmonella can be fatal for young children, those with compromised immune systems, and the elderly, which is why these types of product recalls are significant. This is an issue that food manufacturers deal with from time to time; salmonella was responsible for a Quaker Oats recall and a cantaloupe recall last year.

The reason why this news is still pertinent is that the FDA, which doesn't always classify recalls at the time they occur, declared the Palmer Candy recall a Class I recall on August 6, which is the most serious out of all three versions. A Class I recall, according to the FDA, is "a situation in which there is a reasonable probability that the use of or exposure to a violative product will cause serious adverse health consequences or death."

With the likelihood of health risks deemed significantly higher in a Class I recall-affected product, it's more urgent for those who might have purchased those products to check if they still have an unopened package, especially if vulnerable people live in their households. Those who have purchased the white-coated confectionery products made by Palmer Candy can return them to the retailer where they were purchased for a full refund.