Flavor Enhancer Contamination Leads
to Food Recall

March 2010

Thousands of popular food products like dips and hot dogs contain an ingredient that government food regulators say is contaminated with salmonella, but only a few dozen of the products have been recalled.

The tainted ingredient is a hydrolyzed vegetable protein (HVP) made by Basic Food Flavors. HVP, a flavor enhancer, is used in many processed foods, including soups, sauces, hot dogs, seasoned snack foods, and dressings. So far, a recall has been suggested only for products that aren't cooked before consumption. The FDA's website has a list of products affected by the HVP recall.

One of Basic Food's customers found salmonella in supplies sent to them by the manufacturer and reported the problem to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). A subsequent FDA search uncovered salmonella contamination in the processing equipment used at Basic Food's plant.