Chocolate-coated almonds added to Hershey recall

Hershey Canada is adding chocolate-coated almonds purchased in bulk at its factory store in Smiths Falls, Ont., to its list of recalled products.

The chocolate-coated almonds were sold between Oct. 23 and Nov. 10 at the Hershey Chocolate Shoppe. They were not packaged in Halloween, Christmas or other gift packages.

The company, which employs 500 workers in the eastern Ontario town, shut down production and issued a recall of 25 products after a routine inspection inside the plant detected salmonella on Nov. 9. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency said the plant will remain closed until an investigation has been completed.

Meanwhile, company officials said they believe an ingredient from an outside supplier may have caused the contamination.

Most of the recalled candy is believed to have been contained at distribution and warehouse centres and was not sent to retailers, according to the CFIA.

The products involved in the recall can be identified by date codes ranging from 6417 to 6455 found on the back of each package.

The other recalled products are:

• Hershey Chipits Milk Chocolate Chips - 270 g.
• Hershey Creamy Milk Chocolate With Almonds - 43 g.
• HersheyCreamy Milk Chocolate - 45 g.
• Oh Henry! - 62.5 g; 62.5g/4 bars; 145 g.
• Oh Henry! Bites - 130 g.
• Oh Henry! Peanut Butter - 60 g.
• Hershey Chipits Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips - 350 grams; 2 kg.
• Hershey Chipits Semi-Sweet Mint Chocolate Chips - 300 g.
• Hershey Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips - 300 g.
• Hershey's Special Dark Chocolate - 45 g.
• Hershey's Special Dark Chocolate with Almonds - 43 g.
• Reese's Peanut Butter Cups - 51 g; 68 g; 51 g/4 bars.
• Lowney Cherry Blossom - 45 g.
• Glosette Peanuts - 45 g.
• Glosette Almond - 42 g.
• Glosette Raisin - 50 g; 145 g.
• Hershey's Chocolate Shell Topping - 177 ml.
• Eat-More Dark Toffee Peanut Chew - 56 g; 56 g/4 bars.
• Lowney Bridge Mix - 52 g; 340 g.
• Hershey Assorted 16 count - 728 g.
• Hershey Assorted 50 count - 2.5 kg.
• Hershey Chipits Mini Chocolate Chips - 300 g; 10 kg (Bulk); 175 g; 500 g.
• Hershey Chipits Chocolate Chip Bulk - 10 kg (Bulk).
• Nut Roll - 5 kg (Bulk).
• Hershey Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips - 10 kg (Bulk).

Foods tainted with salmonella may not look or smell spoiled, but the bacteria can cause symptoms such as high fever, severe headache, vomiting, nausea, abdominal pain and diarrhea. People with weak immune systems are also particularly vulnerable to salmonella poisoning.

There have been no reported illnesses associated with the consumption of the Hershey products.