Tnuva's milk powder production line was found to be contaminated with salmonella after a test came back positive for the bacteria, the Health Ministry said on Friday, according to Walla News.
The ministry reportedly ordered Tnuva to carry out a recall of milk powder produced between August 8 and 25, 2021, and instructed the institutions that received the milk powder to refrain from using it until the conclusion of the investigation.
Just weeks earlier, Israeli confectionary Strauss expanded a recall of its Elite, Energy gum and toffee products after salmonella was detected on production lines.
Since the initial recall on multiple Strauss-Elite chocolate products, other recalls have also been announced in connection to the salmonella contamination, including one from Unilever Israel, as many of their products are made using raw ingredients provided by Strauss’s Elite facility.
The Health Ministry issued a statement clarifying the chain of events following the initial detection of salmonella at the Strauss factory, after drawing criticism that almost a week passed between the detection of the contaminant and the announcement to the public.
According to the ministry statement, salmonella was first detected in the manufacturing plant on April 19, but it was not detected in the samples that were taken from finished food products. As a result, it instructed the company to continue conducting tests of the production facility and the raw ingredients.
Then, on the evening of April 21, a preliminary report showed indications of salmonella also being present in the raw material. However, because this was detected through a rapid test and not a full laboratory test, the manufacturer was not required by law to issue a recall at that stage.
Separately, the World Health Organization reported that a salmonella outbreak in the United Kingdom had been traced to chocolate from the Ferrero Corporate plant in Belgium. The chocolate had been exported to numerous countries. The International Food Safety Authorities Network issued a global alert initiating a recall of the chocolate.
Jerusalem Post Staff and Shira Silkoff contributed to this report.