California Company Announces Dried Fungus Recall and CDC Issues Food Safety Alert Due to Salmonella Concerns

Earlier this fall, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued a Food Safety Alert advising people not to eat, serve or sell recalled dried wood ear mushrooms (also commonly referred to as kikurage, dried black fungus, dried fungus or mu’er/mu er/mu-err) that were distributed by a California company.

The mushrooms were imported from China and distributed to restaurants in Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Washington DC, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Mississippi, North Carolina, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Washington, Wisconsin and British Columbia in Canada.

The company issued the voluntary recall after the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) discovered the presence of Salmonella in the product. According to the CDC, at least 41 people have been infected with the outbreak strain of Salmonella in 10 states.

“The dried ear mushrooms are the likely culprit for the infections according to the CDC’s epidemiologic and traceback data,” said Joseph Frasca, Senior Vice President of Marketing at LA Testing. “Fortunately, at the time of the recall notice and Food Safety Alert, there had been no reports of death, but there have been hospitalizations. At LA Testing, our food scientists help to avert cases like this by preventing contaminated products from reaching consumers. With multiple laboratories in California, we offer food growers, manufacturers, importers, distributors, retailers and public health officials a wide range of testing services to identify microbial pathogens and chemical contaminants from raw ingredients, production surfaces and finished products.”

To learn more about microbial testing or other food, beverage and consumer product services, please visit www.LATesting.com or www.FoodTestingLab.com, email  info@LATesting.com  or call (800) 755-1794.


About LA Testing
LA Testing is California’s leading laboratory for indoor air quality testing of asbestos, mold, lead, VOCs, formaldehyde, soot, char, ash and smoke damage, particulates and other chemicals. In addition, LA Testing offers a full range of air sampling and investigative equipment to professionals and the general public. LA Testing maintains an extensive list of accreditations including: : AIHA-LAP, LLC (AIHA-LAP, LLC EMLAP, AIHA-LAP, LLC IHLAP, AIHA-LAP, LLC ELLAP), CDC ELITE, NVLAP, State of California, State of Hawaii Department of Health and other states. LA Testing, along with the EMSL Analytical, Inc. network, has multiple laboratories throughout California including South Pasadena, Huntington Beach, San Leandro, San Diego and Ontario.

Contact Information

Joseph Frasca

Senior Vice President of Marketing

LA Testing

(1) 856-303-2503

Contact via E-mail