Soy not confirmed as salmonella source in Hershey recall: CFIA

Hershey's finding that a soy ingredient wasresponsible fora salmonella scare that led to its recall of candy products is still being investigated by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency,a federal official says.

Garfield Balsom, a food and safety recall officer with CFIA, saidthe soy ingredientis being consideredas apossiblesource of contamination, but the agency's assessment hasn't been completed.

Hershey spokeswoman Stephanie Moritztold CBC on Thursday thatthe companyfoundthe source of the contamination was soy lecithin.

"During one of our routine quality checks, the soy lecithin tested positive for salmonella," she said.

Soy lecithin isan emulsifying agent used to help chocolate flow during the manufacturing process.

But Balsom said CFIA's investigation hasn't been concluded.

"Because the bacteria was found does not necessarily mean that it was the source,"hesaid Thursday. "What contaminated what? What came first, the chicken or the egg?"

Meanwhile, the Ontario Ministry of Health is investigating three reports of illness possibly linked to the products involved in the recall, Moritz said.

"Hershey is also following up on reports of illness associated with the product codes announced in the recall, but has yet to confirm these," she said.

Moritz also noted that most of the recalled products, which did not include Halloween or Christmas candy, have been returned to the company.

The company, which employs 500 workers in the eastern Ontario town, shut down production and recalled 25 products after a routine plant inspection detected salmonella on Nov. 9.

CIFA said the plant will remain closed until an investigation has been completed.

The recalled products can be identified by date codes — ranging from 6417 to 6455 — on the back of each package.

The other recalled products are:

• Hershey Chipits Milk Chocolate Chips, 270 g.
• Hershey Creamy Milk Chocolate With Almonds, 43 g.
• Hershey Creamy Milk Chocolate, 45 g.
• Oh Henry! 62.5 g; 62.5g/4 bars, 145 g.
• Oh Henry! Bites, 130 g.
• Oh Henry! Peanut Butter, 60 g.
• Hershey Chipits Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips, 350 grams, 2 kg.
• Hershey Chipits Semi-Sweet Mint Chocolate Chips, 300 g.
• Hershey Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips, 300 g.
• Hershey's Special Dark Chocolate, 45 g.
• Hershey's Special Dark Chocolate with Almonds, 43 g.
• Reese's Peanut Butter Cups, 51 g, 68 g, 51 g/4 bars.
• Lowney Cherry Blossom, 45 g.
• Glosette Peanuts, 45 g.
• Glosette Almond, 42 g.
• Glosette Raisin, 50 g; 145 g.
• Hershey's Chocolate Shell Topping, 177 ml.
• Eat-More Dark Toffee Peanut Chew, 56 g; 56 g/4 bars.
• Lowney Bridge Mix, 52 g; 340 g.
• Hershey Assorted 16 count, 728 g.
• Hershey Assorted 50 count, 2.5 kg.
• Hershey Chipits Mini Chocolate Chips, 300 g, 10 kg (bulk), 175 g, 500 g.
• Hershey Chipits Chocolate Chip Bulk, 10 kg (bulk).
• Nut Roll, 5 kg (bulk).
• Hershey Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips, 10 kg (bulk).
• Chocolate-coated almonds sold between Oct. 23 and Nov. 10 at the Hershey Chocolate Shoppe at the factory.

Foods tainted with salmonella may not look or smell spoiled, but the bacteria can cause symptoms such as high fever, severe headache, vomiting, nausea, abdominal pain and diarrhea. People with weak immune systems are particularly vulnerable to salmonella poisoning.