The company at the center of a burgeoning processed food recall continued to make and sell a flavoring agent after learning salmonella had been detected in its Las Vegas plant, according to the Washington Post.

Reporting on inspection records from the Food and Drug Administration, the Post wrote that, "Basic Food Flavors tested surfaces near food-processing equipment throughout its plant twice in January and once in February, and each time the samples showed salmonella contamination." Yet the company continued to ship hydrolyzed vegetable protein (HVP) and make more of it without taking measures to stem the contamination, the FDA records showed.

This news comes as the FDA is adding multiple HVP-enhanced foods to its recall list—a list that is expected to grow exponentially in the coming days. According to the Post, Basic Food Flavors makes 20 million pounds of HVP each year and distributes it to foodmakers across the country.

HVP is a flavor enhancer used in a wide variety of processed food products, such as soups, sauces, chilis, stews, hot dogs, gravies, seasoned snack foods, dips, and dressings. It is often blended with other spices to make seasonings that are used in or on foods. Two examples are the Pringles varieties recalled this week: Restaurant Cravers Cheeseburger and Family Faves Taco Night. Even Stephen Colbert felt obligated last night to warn his nation of viewers about the recall. Apparently there are lots of kinds of Pringles! (Watch the video.)

We'd like to make light of it too but so far the news has been pretty disturbing. Basic Food Flavors is recalling all HVP made at the plant since Sept. 17, 2009. That's a lot.

Use of HVP is not limited to dried packaged foods, it is also used in some meat products and recalls are showing up there too. Windsor Foods, a firm with operations in Lampasas, Texas, and Oakland, Miss., is recalling 1.7 million pounds of ready-to-eat beef taquito and chicken quesadilla products. And Ruiz Foods, a Denison, Texas firm, is recalling 115,700 pounds of a ready-to-eat beef products. (See the recall notices for full details.)

According to the FDA's FAQ on HVP, reading labels is not a reliable way to detect HVP because it may be characterized in different ways. So it's best to keep an eye on the recall list. And to follow these tips:

• Check www.FoodSafety.gov or www.recalls.gov for a list of recalled products;
• Remember to follow cooking instructions for all foods;
• Report symptoms of salmonella or other food-related illness to your local health care professional.

—Mary H.J. Farrell