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Have You Seen This Bear? Don't Eat His Cilantro

Little Bear J&D Produce
Image courtesy J&D Produce
Cilantro and parsley sold under the Little Bear brand has been recalled over salmonella concerns.

A produce distributor in the south Texas town of Edinburg has recalled almost 7,000 cases of cilantro and parsley after samples in Michigan and the Canadian province of Quebec tested positive for salmonella.

In a recall notice posted to its website, J&D Produce says the recall is voluntary and precautionary.

“It’s imperative to protect public health, even if that means being overzealous in expanding the scope of the products we’re calling back,” said James Bassetti, president of J&D Produce Inc.  …. “Meanwhile, we’ve already implemented immediate measures to make sure we minimize the likelihood of this re-occurring.”  For example, upon learning of the test in Quebec, Bassetti ordered the shut down of all production lines; re-sanitized the production lines; increased manual inspections; and implemented additional product rinse steps.

J&D says both the cilantro and parsley were packed in red, white and blue waxed cartons under the Little Bear brand.  (See image above.) Individual bunches of the herbs were tied together with a rubber band or twist tie which also contains the logo.

The recall only affects batches packed on November 30 and December 6. The date on which the produce was packed should appear on the label.

All products were available at retail stores in Texas. Obviously, if you have one, return it to the store for a full refund.

If you have any questions, you can try calling J&D Produce at 956-380-0353.

Nathan Bernier is the transportation reporter at KUT. He covers the big projects that are reshaping how we get around Austin, like the I-35 overhaul, the airport's rapid growth and the multibillion dollar transit expansion Project Connect. He also focuses on the daily changes that affect how we walk, bike and drive around the city. Got a tip? Email him at nbernier@kut.org. Follow him on Twitter @KUTnathan.