We were chatting earlier today with one of the nation’s experts on food borne illnesses. He was making the point that people in good health, in the prime of their life, can be cut down by food-borne illnesses like Salmonella.

And Salmonella seems to be everywhere this spring. Southeast Michigan has 16 confirmed cases of Salmonella with two of the ill in hospitals. Michigan health officials are warning state residents not to eat raw sprouts until more is known.  The Michigan sprouts problem may be related to the outbreak earlier this year blamed on an Omaha company.

Meanwhile across the country in California it’s spice not sprouts that is making people sick with Salmonella. The Centers on Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says 45 of the 60 people known to be sick with the spice-related Salmonella are residents of the Golden Bear State.

The Sacramento Bee summed up the situation this way:

White and black pepper and curry powder sold in 5-pound containers under the "Natural and Delicious" label by CJ United Corp., based in Oakland, have been recalled, according to a statement on the state Department of Public Health’s Web site.

Sacramento County had five reported salmonella cases, and one case has been reported in both Placer and El Dorado counties, according to Ron Owens, a Department of Public Health spokesman.

The following counties also have reported salmonella cases linked to the spice recall: Santa Clara, seven; Alameda, five; San Francisco, five; San Mateo, five; Contra Costa, four; San Joaquin, two; Sonoma, two; and one case each in Humboldt, Madera, Marin, Merced, Mono, Napa, Santa Cruz and Solano.

The corporation received the products from U.F. Union International Food Co., which is at the nexus of a spice recall that began late last month.  Union International Food has recalled all of its products produced in Union City because of potential contamination with salmonella.