Skin reaction from Uncle Ben’s rice demands product recall

Beware of Uncle Ben's rice products in major food service institutions, says The Food and Drug Administration after children in three states showed skin reactions and other symptoms to the mix.

Mars Foodservices of Greenville, Miss., among other schools, hospitals and restaurants, is recalling 5- and 25-pound bags of the rice. The flavors involved in the recall are roasted chicken, garlic and butter, Mexican, saffron, cheese, Spanish and Uncle Ben's Rice Pilaf.

Uncle Ben's ready-to-eat products located in grocery stores are not linked to the reported illnesses and have not been recalled.

The FDA said in a press release that it learned Feb. 7 that 34 students and four teachers in Katy, Texas, had experienced brief symptoms such as burning, itching rashes, headaches and nausea for 30 to 90 minutes after ingesting the product.

This incident is still under investigation, but the agency said what happened in Texas may be linked to similar reactions in 25 Illinois children from an incident back in December. The connection may be, according to the FDA, an excess of niacin, or vitamin B3. Overexposure to the substance can cause skin reactions or nausea when a very large dose is ingested.

While the symptoms in both cases are similar, it has yet to be confirmed that the higher niacin levels are what caused the episode in Texas.

Agency officials are working with Mars Foodservice to rid the shelves of the harmful product, but still have some concerns about the recall. Despite the warning, Uncle Ben rice packages, as of Monday, are still available on the Internet via sites like Amazon.com and at warehouse-type retailers.