Spain’s food safety and nutrition agency, Aesan, which falls under the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, has received a notification about the possible presence of a bacterium in ground cinnamon from Vietnam. The jars of cinnamon spice sold in Spanish supermarkets are being recalled.
The bacterium clostridium perfringens has been found in ground cinnamon from the Especias Pedroza brand.
Spice being recalled
At issue are specifically the transparent 700-gram jars, lot A220079, with an expiry date of 31/12/2023. And also lot A222605, with an expiry date of 28/02/2026.
The warning comes from the Madrid region, but the exact distribution area has not been disclosed. Meanwhile, as a precautionary measure, people who have the product in their homes are advised not to consume it. This information has been shared with the authorities of the autonomous communities to check whether the affected products have been withdrawn from the market and to report any infections.
What does the bacteria do?
Clostridium perfringens, once in the digestive tract, can cause food poisoning. The most common symptoms are diarrhoea to abdominal cramps. This usually occurs between 6 and 24 hours after ingestion of the contaminated food.
Infected people may also vomit and develop a fever, although this is less common. These symptoms usually disappear after a full day. Antibiotics are not given as it is symptomatic food poisoning.
The clostridium perfringens bacterium is usually found in meat products. Spores of it can survive during food cooking. Furthermore, improper refrigeration and if food is kept at a temperature between 15 and 55ºC for an extended period of time, the bacteria can multiply.
Therefore, for prevention, experts recommend not cooking large pieces of meat, using a cooking temperature appropriate to the product, cooling quickly, storing food in the fridge and also reheating leftovers sufficiently before consumption.
