Organic spiced herbal tea is under a nationwide recall by CVS Pharmacy because one of the ingredients is potentially contaminated with Salmonella. The recalled Gold Emblem Abound branded organic spiced herbal tea was distributed nationwide, according to a recall notice on the Food and Drug Administration’s website. It can be identified by the UPC number 0 50428 541043 and a “Best By” date of March 18, 2018. It is packaged in 1.4-ounce cartons. “An ingredient produced by the manufacturer’s raw material supplier tested positive for Salmonella in another company’s product. CVS Pharmacy’s Gold Emblem product also contains this ingredient,” according to the recall notice. Because of the long shelf life and nationwide distribution of the product in the CVS chain, which has 9,600 stores, public health officials are concerned that consumers may have the recalled product in their homes. Any customer who purchased the recalled product should immediately discontinue use and return the item to CVS Pharmacy for a refund. Contact the company at 800-SHOP-CVS for additional details. “The company is not aware of any reported cases of illness to date related to this product and it has issued this voluntary recall as a matter of precaution,” according to today’s recall notice. “CVS Pharmacy has removed the affected products from its stores and the manufacturer has notified the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. A ‘do not sell’ block has also been placed in the company’s store register system to prevent further sale of these recalled items.” Salmonella is a microscopic organism that 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 that 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, endocarditis and arthritis. (To sign up for a free subscription to Food Safety News, click here.)