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The question a growing number of Israelis is asking is if there happens to be a growing number of companies with salmonella contamination for one reason or another, or perhaps, efforts to continue hiding what is a norm in the Israeli food industry have failed to continue hiding a substandard norm.

Ma’adanei Miki, a company producing salads and smoked fish products joins Telma breakfast cereals, Shamir Salads, Milutal French fries, Osem Vitaminchik raspberry syrup and Strauss (elite) chocolate roulade cake. There was also a Channel 2 News report on the presence of salmonella in the poultry industry, which is an industry norm.

The latest to join the salmonella recalls in Israel are Ma’adanei Miki and Baraka Halva products. A Ministry of Health inspection has revealed listeria and salmonella in packages of sliced smoked salmon, 500 gram package (10 times 50 grams) with barcode 7290006736086, production date of July 7, 2016 and ‘best used by’ date of March 3, 2017. This is a product sold only to commercial institutions and not seen in supermarkets and grocery stores.

It is reported a test on the production date revealed the product was clean but another test conducted on the site of a recipient of the product told another story. Hence, a recall has been decided upon to be safe. Anyone with the product mentioned above is instructed to call 1-700-50-55-40 (customer service line) or 03-961-6283 or email [email protected] .

Next on the recall list is Baraka halva products along with Halal halva, which is market in Arab communities. The recall impacts packages listed below:

· Expiration date of April 13, 2017 to April 20, 2017

· Expiration date of May 18, 2017 to May 22, 2017

· Expiration date of June 21, 2017 to August 7, 2017

· Expiration date of July 21, 2017 to August 7, 2017

Company officials explain that testing of ingredients during production have led them to the decision to issue the recall despite the fact the presence of salmonella in the product has not been positively established. It is stressed the recall is voluntary.

The number to call in this case is 04-856-0135.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)