Kansas City-based Hostess Brands is voluntarily recalling its Holiday White Peppermint Hostess Twinkies due to a concern about possible salmonella contamination.
Although no illnesses have been reported and none of the affected products have tested positive for salmonella, Hostess says it’s initiating the recall “out of an abundance of caution.”
The confectionary coating used on the Twinkies was previously recalled by its maker, Valley Milk Products, prompting Hostess’ recall. No other Hostess products are affected by the recall.
Marie Espinel, a spokeswoman for Hostess, said in an email that the Twinkies were a limited-edition product produced for the holidays.
“However, the majority of it has passed its best-by date and should not be in the market,” she said.
Hostess is urging consumers who bought the product to return it to the place of purchase for a full refund.
Salmonella causes one million foodborne illnesses in the United States annually, according to the Centers for Disease Prevention and Control. Most people infected with it develop diarrhea, fever and abdominal cramps within 12 to 72 hours of infection.
The vast majority of infected individuals recover without treatment, but about 19,000 people a year are hospitalized and another 380 die.
Dan Margolies is KCUR’s health editor. You can reach him on Twitter @DanMargolies.
