A shopper passes Ritz crackers displayed on an aisle of the main commissary, July 26, 2018, at the U.S. Navy base in Naples, Italy. Most Ritz Bits and Ritz Sandwiches were recalled because of salmonella concerns. They are part of a list of recently recalled commissary items. (Scott Wyland/Stars and Stripes)
A shopper passes Ritz crackers displayed on an aisle of the main commissary, July 26, 2018, at the U.S. Navy base in Naples, Italy. Most Ritz Bits and Ritz Sandwiches were recalled because of salmonella concerns. They are part of a list of recently recalled commissary items. (Scott Wyland/Stars and Stripes)
Commissaries have recalled some foods and bottle water in the past week because of impurities or additives that could be unsafe for consumers, including a portion of its in-house bottled-water brand Freedom's Choice, sold in the Pacific, as well as national brands such as Ritz crackers and Diet Pepsi. (Scott Wyland/Stars and Stripes)
Commissaries have pulled bottled water and some foods in the past week because of bacterial contamination or impurities that could be unsafe for consumers.
The list includes a portion of the in-house Freedom’s Choice bottled water that was sold in the Pacific, as well as some Ritz crackers and Diet Pepsi products that are part of larger manufacturers’ recalls.
Patrons can return unused portions of recalled products for a full refund. So far, no one has been reported sick from these products, commissaries spokesman Kevin Robinson said.
Mondelez Global LLC is recalling most packages of Ritz Cracker Sandwiches and Ritz Bits because they may be contaminated with salmonella, the Defense Department said in a statement earlier this week.
Salmonella bacteria can be potentially life-threatening, especially to infants, older people, pregnant women and people with weakened immune systems. It is one of the most common bacterial foodborne illnesses.
Impurities that exceed federal guidelines were found in a 133,000-bottle shipment of Freedom’s Choice water that went to Korea and Guam, Robinson said.
The Defense Department issued a recall last week for Freedom’s Choice water sold in the Pacific with the lot number STK1070518 and a “best if used by” date of Nov. 5, 2019.
“We follow the Environmental Protection Agency standards for bottled and drinking water because we want the water for our patrons worldwide to be the safest possible,” Robinson said.
Robinson said he couldn’t discuss the impurities that prompted the recall until a laboratory finished testing the water, which could take several weeks.
PepsiCo Inc. recalled some of its canned Diet Pepsi because it contains aspartame not disclosed in the ingredients label. It has lot codes of XXXXTT060581 and XXXXTT051081, and “use by” dates of Sep. 17 and Aug. 20, 2018.
Franz Family Bakery has recalled some pub buns because they contain soy allergens.
For a complete list of the commissary’s recalled products, visit their website.
wyland.scott@stripes.com Twitter: @wylandstripes
