Peaches being recalled

Prima Wawona of Fresno, California, is voluntarily recalling its Wawona Organic brand conventional and organic bagged peaches because they could be contaminated with salmonella.

The peaches were distributed to 34 states but not New Mexico. However, Susann Mikkelson, family and consumer science extension agent in Quay County, flagged the recall because the peaches were distributed to Texas and thus may affect eastern New Mexico customers.

Prima Wawona is recalling the bagged peaches as a precaution in connection with a salmonella outbreak being investigated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that is suspected to have sickened more than 60 people in nine states.

“We’re conducting this voluntary recall in cooperation with the FDA out of consideration for the wellbeing and safety of our customers and consumers,” said George Nikolich, the company’s vice president technical operations.

Salmonella is a microorganism that can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, plus others with weakened immune systems.

Healthy persons infected with salmonella often experience fever, diarrhea (which may be bloody), nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain. In rare circumstances, infection with salmonella can result in the organism getting into the bloodstream and producing more severe illnesses such as arterial infections (i.e., infected aneurysms), endocarditis and arthritis.