Euphoria Chocolate Company Recalls Individually Wrapped Milk and Dark Chocolate Peanut Clusters

CONTACT: BOB BURY 1- 541-344-4914 (8:30AM – 2:00PM PST MON-FRI)

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE — MARCH 12, 2009 — EUPHORIA CHOCOLATE COMPANY OF EUGENE IS INITIATING A VOLUNTARY RECALL OF INDIVIDUALLY WRAPPED MILK AND DARK CHOCOLATE PEANUT CLUSTERS BECAUSE THEY HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO BE CONTAMINATED WITH SALMONELLA. THIS VOLUNTARY RECALL IS IN RESPONSE TO THE EXPANDED RECALL INVOLVING ALL PEANUT PRODUCTS PRODUCED BY PEANUT CORPORATION OF AMERICA’S GA AND TX FACILITIES. EUPHORIA CHOCOLATE IS NOT AWARE OF ANY REPORTED CASES OF ILLNESS RELATED TO THIS PRODUCT AND HAS ISSUED THIS VOLUNTARY RECALL AS A STRICTLY PRECAUTIONARY MEASURE. EUPHORIA CHOCOLATE TAKES THE SAFETY OF ITS CUSTOMERS SERIOUSLY AND IS WORKING WITH THE FDA ON THIS RECALL.  IMMEDIATELY UPON NOTIFICATION FROM GLORY BEE FOODS, FROM WHOM EUPHORIA CHOCOLATE PURCHASED THE PEANUTS IN QUESTION, ALL THE REMAINING PEANUTS AND THE ABOVE-NAMED PRODUCTS IN EUPHORIA’S COMPANY STORES AND WHOLESALE OUTLETS WERE IMMEDIATELY REMOVED AND DESTROYED. 

NO KNOWN ILLNESSES HAVE BEEN REPORTED TO DATE IN CONNECTION WITH THESE PRODUCTS, AND EUPHORIA CHOCOLATE COMPANY HAS ISSUED THIS VOLUNTARY RECALL STRICTLY AS A PRECAUTIONARY MEASURE.

THE RECALLED PRODUCTS WERE DISTRIBUTED AND SOLD PRIMARILY THROUGH GIFT AND SPECIALTY FOOD STORES, AND THROUGH EUPHORIA CHOCOLATE COMPANY STORES LOCATED IN OREGON AND IN KALAMA, WA. PEANUT CLUSTERS DISTRIBUTED BETWEEN JANUARY 1, 2007 TO JANUARY 22, 2009 AND WITH BEST IF USED BY DATE OF 2 12 09 AND PRIOR, ARE INVOLVED IN THIS RECALL.

ITEMS IMPACTED BY THE VOLUNTARY RECALL ARE AS FOLLOWS, AS IDENTIFIED ON THE BAR CODE:

“EUPHORIA CHOCOLATE COMPANY MILK PEANUT CLUSTER” UPC CODE 0 50469 04175 5

“EUPHORIA CHOCOLATE COMPANY DARK PEANUT CLUSTER” UPC CODE 0 50469 04172 4

THESE ARE THE ONLY ITEMS EUPHORIA CHOCOLATE MAKES THAT INVOLVED THESE PEANUTS. SALMONELLA IS AN ORGANISM WHICH CAN CAUSE SERIOUS AND SOMETIMES FATAL INFECTIONS IN YOUNG CHILDREN, FRAIL OR ELDERLY PEOPLE, AND 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.  

ANY CUSTOMER WHO FINDS ANY OF THE ABOVE SPECIFIED ITEMS IS URGED TO RETURN THEM TO ANY EUPHORIA CHOCOLATE COMPANY STORE. SUCH STORES ARE LOCATED AT VALLEY RIVER CENTER, OAKWAY CENTER, 6 W. 17TH AVE., AND 4090 STEWART ROAD IN EUGENE.  CONSUMERS WITH QUESTIONS MAY CONTACT THE COMPANY AT 1- 541-344-4914 (8:30AM – 2:00PM PST MON-FRI.