Regular readers of these pages know that there have been a lot of food recalls lately: Foster Farms chicken, of course, but also ground beef, hummus, dips and cottage cheese  – and that's just in the last two weeks. Makes you think you might only be safe eating water and crackers. Well … you might want to hold the crackers.

Two makers of gluten-free crackers are recalling their products. To start, Baptista's Bakery Inc. of Franklin, Wis., is voluntarily recalling 4,339 cases of LiveGfree Gluten Free Rosemary and Olive Oil Multiseed Crackers because they contain seasoning that may be adulterated with our ol' pal salmonella, according to Food Safety News.
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Sorry, gluten-free beeyatches, foodborne illness has just hit your little corner of the universe.

The crackers were distributed nationwide and have a best-if-used-by date of 11-24-14. Baptista's Bakery became aware of the issue when Kerry Ingredients peeps contacted their peeps to inform them that Kerry may have shipped an ingredient that might be contaminated with salmonella. Their bad!

(That's right people – even the rosemary is contaminated with crap.) 

Consumers who have bought the crackers are urged not to eat the product and to throw it away or return it to the store where it was originally purchased. (Do not give them to your dog.)

No illnesses have been reported.

Customers with questions or concerns may contact Laura Villarreal at (414) 409-2123 between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. CDT.

This comes on the heels of a similar recall by Paramus, NJ- based Glutino, which is voluntarily recalling Glutino Rosemary and Olive Oil Snack Crackers because of the same sketchy seasoning mix from the same supplier, Kerry Ingredients. (These are also gluten-free crackers.)

The recalled Glutino Rosemary and Olive Oil Snack Crackers were distributed nationally through retail and warehouse club stores. The product affected is sold in 4.25-ounce and 20-ounce opaque white boxes with a “Best By” date of Oct. 26, 2014, stamped on the top of the box.

The recall is limited to the Glutino Rosemary and Olive Oil Snack Crackers and does not extend to any other Glutino products. The affected Glutino UPCs are:

* 6 78523 03861 1
* 6 78523 03863 5

Again, no illnesses have been reported to date, and again, you can return the crackers to the place of purchase for a full refund. Consumers with questions may contact the company at 201-421-3970.

While we don't know the source of the seasoning blend used for these crackers, as we reported last year, imported spices are a significant source of salmonella infections in the United States. The U.S. imports about 80 percent of its spice supply. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration released a comprehensive analysis in November that found that almost 7 percent of imported spice lots were contaminated with salmonella, on average. That was twice the average of all other imported foods.

A wide variety of spice types and forms – everything from basic black pepper to sesame seeds – was found to contain the bacteria, and more than 80 different salmonella serotypes were isolated from spices in contaminated shipments. Nearly 7 percent of those exhibited antimicrobial-resistant properties.

Just last month, Anhing Corp. of Los Angeles conducted a national recall of its Caravelle brand chili powder, imported from Thailand, due to salmonella contamination.

So what's left to eat? Remember when Audrey Hepburn offered to whip up a gourmet meal in Sabrina using packets of ketchup and Saltines? Guess that's out. 

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