Welcome to Robert's American Gourmet

July 27, 2007
Robert’s American Gourmet Food, Inc.’s Offer to Help.

Dear Friends,

We at Robert’s American Gourmet are truly concerned about the problems that some of our customers may have experienced as a result of the events leading up to the recent recall of our Veggie Booty and Super Veggie Tings. While the specific cause of the reported salmonella contamination has not been definitively determined, we would like the opportunity to directly and promptly reimburse our customers for expenses, which are directly related to this unfortunate incident.

If you believe that you have contracted salmonella as a result of consuming Veggie Booty or Super Veggie Tings, please complete the Claim Form (PDF document) and either e-mail it to:

Anthony.Mele@Peerless-ins.com,
or fax is to (315) 431-6102,
or mail it to: Peerless Insurance, PO Box 4858,
Syracuse, NY 13221
Phone: 800-443-4000 Ext. 6153

Please note, however, that if you have already retained a lawyer concerning the recall, we cannot communicate with you directly, so you will need to have your lawyer contact us.

Again, we at Robert’s American Gourmet offer our sincerest apologies to any of you who may have experienced difficulty as a result of these recent events, and we look forward to continuing our practice of providing quality foods and outstanding consumer support to you in the future. We look forward to hearing from you soon.

Sincerely,

Robert's American Gourmet Food, Inc.

July 18, 2007
A Letter of Apology from Robert

Dear Friends,

As many of you will know, over the last two and a half weeks we’ve been working closely with the US Food and Drug Administration after a number cases of salmonella were traced to the seasoning used to make Veggie Booty.

To the families who have been affected we extend our sincerest apologies.

For me, this company is like a family and our customers are part of this family. The trust we’ve built with you is our most valuable asset and we intend to work hard to find out exactly how this happened and what we need to do to make certain it doesn’t happen again.

At Robert’s we take food safety very seriously and we will be working with our suppliers and distributors to strengthen our quality control protocols for all our food products.

We’ve been making Robert’s American Gourmet snacks since 1986 and a strong commitment to taste, quality, and service is at the heart of all the products we make. In keeping with that promise, we will do our best to keep you informed and reassured as this problem is resolved.

Sincerely,

Rob

Robert Ehrlich
President and founder, Robert's American Gourmet

July 18, 2007
VEGGIE BOOTY RECALL – FACT SHEET

veggie At Robert’s American Gourmet we take food safety very seriously and want to ensure that our customers have access to the facts concerning our June 28^th recall of Veggie Booty. We have and will continue to work closely with the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the Center for Disease Control (CDC), as well as our suppliers and distributors in investigating this event.

THE FACTS

At 9 am, June 28^th,2007, Robert’s American Gourmet was notified by the FDA that Veggie Booty was suspected to be the likely cause of 51 reported cases of salmonella. This was the first time we heard of any problem with the product.
Within 60 minutes, our distributors were notified that we were recalling Veggie Booty. Shortly thereafter, all our mail order customers were notified of the recall by telephone.
Veggie Booty will remain off the shelves until the pending investigation has been concluded.
On July 2^nd, we made the decision to voluntarily recall Super Veggie Tings Crunchy Corn Sticks, the only other product to use the same seasoning as Veggie Booty.
No other products manufactured by Robert’s American Gourmet use the seasoning in question.
The veggie seasoning was removed from our manufacturing plant and placed in quarantine.
On June 28^th and 29^th, the FDA collected retention samples of Veggie Booty and its seasoning for testing. At the same time, Robert’s sent the seasoning and retention samples to an independent laboratory for testing.
On July 12^th, Robert’s was informed that the FDA test results confirmed that the seasoning used in Veggie Booty tested positive for Salmonella.
The U.S. manufacturing facility which produces Veggie Booty has an American Institute of Baking ”Excellent” rating for food safety and good manufacturing processes. The plant is also certified under the Orthodox Union (OU) supervision.
On June 29^th, the FDA’s environmental swab tests confirmed that the plant was free of any contaminants, and all other products are safe.

July 12, 2007
Press Release
"Our primary motivation behind the creation of Robert’s 23 years ago was to create social change. It appears that we are now in a position to move this social change even further forward, with the goal now being the implementation of measures designed to ensure food safety in this country."

Read press release details...

Please see below for information and instructions if you have the Veggie Booty product.

July 8, 2007
Booty Praise
Thank you for all your kind letters in this difficult time. We are very concerned for your health and that of your children from possible Veggie Booty contamination and are in constant contact with both the FDA and CDC in regards to the Veggie Booty Recall. Unfortunately we have not received any new information at this time. As soon as we do we will post it here and on our Veggie Booty recall page.

Please see below for information and instructions if you have the Veggie Booty product.

We appreciate your kind letters of support.

July 3, 2007
Salmonella Source Pinpointed
We have just been informed by the Minnesota State Health Department that an
independent sample of Veggie Booty has tested positive for Salmonella Wandsworth by the Minnesota Department of Agriculture.

Read full press release

Please see below for information and instructions if you have the Veggie Booty or Super Veggie Tings product.

July 2, 2007
Super Veggie Tings Product Recall News Release Issued
Robert’s American Gourmet Food, Inc. of Sea Cliff, New York is expanding its snack recall to include Super Veggie Tings Crunchy Corn Sticks Snack Food, all lots and sizes, because it has the potential to be contaminated with Salmonella..., an organism which can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems. For more information please, click here to access the news release.

Please see below for information and instructions if you have the Super Veggie Tings product.

June 28, 2007
Veggie Booty Product Recall Information
Robert’s American Gourmet has been alerted to a recent outbreak of salmonella and the potential contamination of Veggie Booty and Super Veggie Tings. Due to the serious nature of the health risk, Robert’s has decided to temporarily stop the manufacture and sale of Veggie Booty and Super Veggie Tings until test results can positively identify the source. We stand by our snacks and hope to resume making Veggie Booty and Super Veggie Tings shortly.

Read full letter from Rob..

Your next steps:

Review our Veggie Booty and/or
Super Veggie Tings page to identify the products being recalled;
Discard the entire contents of the package of Veggie Booty
and/or Super Veggie Tings
Contact 1-800-626-7557 or email info@robscape.com for reimbursement of your purchase. See details...

Frequently Asked Questions and Answers:

Questions about Veggie Booty/Super Veggie Tings and Salmonella
Questions about getting a product refund for Veggie Booty/Super Veggie Tings
Questions about Roberts American Gourmet Product Safety

Questions about Veggie Booty/Super Veggie Tings and Salmonella

I have a bag of Roberts American Gourmet Veggie Booty/Super Veggie Tings and I/my children ate some of it, but no one is sick. What should I do?

Do not eat any more of the Veggie Booty and/or of the Super Veggie Tings. Empty the contents of the bag into the trash and follow instructions below for a refund. If anyone in your family develops diarrheal illness with bloody diarrhea, fever, or symptoms lasting more than three days, he or she should consult a healthcare provider.

Content Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
I/my household member ate Robert’s American Gourmet “Veggie Booty/Super Veggie Tings” and I/my household member is ill with diarrhea. I still have the bag. What should I do?

Do not eat any more of the Veggie Booty and/or Super Veggie Tings. If the diarrheal illness is severe, with bloody diarrhea, fever, or symptoms lasting more than three days, you should consult a healthcare provider. Salmonella infection is diagnosed by culture of a stool specimen. Call your local health department as well, as they may wish to investigate your case further.
Content Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
I/my household member ate another snack product from the Robert’s American Gourmet brand, and I/my household member is ill with diarrhea. I still have the bag. What should I do?
There is no evidence that this illness has been caused by the snack food you are describing. If the illness is severe, with bloody diarrhea, fever, or symptoms lasting more than three days, you should consult a healthcare provider.
Content Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
I (or my children) have been tested positive for Salmonella after consuming Veggie Booty/Super Veggie Tings. What should I do next?

Please have your doctor or medical services provider contact your state health department. This will help the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in their ongoing investigation.

Questions about getting a product refund

I have bag(s) of Veggie Booty/Super Veggie Tings and have destroyed the contents. How do I get a refund?

Send the empty flexible plastic foil packages to:

Robert's American Gourmet
Veggie Booty Recall
P.O. box 326
Sea Cliff, New York 11579

Please remember to include:

Your full name
Mailing address where we will send the check to
Contact phone number
Store where you purchased the Veggie Booty/Super Veggie Tings
Purchase price

Refunds will be processed in 6 to 8 weeks.

Questions about Roberts American Gourmet Product Safety

Are your other Robert's American Gourmet products safe to eat?

The possible contamination of Veggie Booty and Super Veggie Tings by Salmonella is being investigated by the CDC and FDA for Veggie Booty and Super Veggie Tings products only.
What lot numbers, sell by dates are affected?

The FDA and CDC have not provided confirmation of specific lot numbers or sell by dates at this time. Robert's American Gourmet has taken the proactive stance to do a complete recall of all Veggie Booty and Super Veggie Tings products until further information is available.
Will Robert's American Gourmet be making Veggie Booty or Super Veggie Tings again?

Robert's American Gourmet has presently ceased production of Veggie Booty and Super Veggie Tings. They are both very popular products and it is our intention to resume production of them once the FDA and CDC have given us the approval to do so.

For more information:

Why is Robert's American Gourmet doing this product recall?
For questions about Salmonella please contact your local doctor or medical services provider
U.S. Food and Drug Administration June 28, 2007 news release
U.S. FDA Warns Consumers Not to Eat Veggie Booty Snack Food
U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Questions and Answers Related to the Outbreak of Salmonella infections from Veggie Booty
Canadian Food Inspection Agency Health Hazard Alert

Contact Us:

Booty Praise

Here is a sample of the emails, letters and phone calls of support in this difficult time.
Thank you all!