US stopped Canada canola due to salmonella in June

* FDA blocked 3 Bunge shipments in June

* 1 Cargill shipment stopped in June

* Shipments tainted by salmonella-FDA

By Rod Nickel

WINNIPEG, Manitoba, Aug 10 (Reuters) - The United States Food and Drug Administration halted Bunge (BG.N) and Cargill [CARG.UL] shipments of canola meal and seed because of salmonella contamination in June, FDA records show.

The FDA refused three Bunge shipments of canola meal on June 2 and one Cargill shipment of canola, a variant of rapeseed, on June 24.

Due to a technical problem with its website, the FDA's records for June only became available Monday, after it had disclosed July import refusals last week.

Canadian canola meal, used mainly as feed for U.S. dairy cattle, has faced greater border scrutiny this year because of American food-safety concerns linked to salmonella [ID:nN07343894].

Salmonella contamination sickened more than 700 people in 46 states this year, forcing the largest food recall in U.S. history.

The FDA had already stopped one shipment of Cargill canola meal in March and a shipment of its canola in July, as well as shipments of Bunge canola meal in May.

All three of Cargill's refused shipments originated in its Clavet, Saskatchewan, plant. Bunge's latest blocked shipments came from its Hamilton, Ontario, plant.

The FDA requires third-party testing for an undetermined period of time after it refuses shipments, proving that the company's goods are no longer contaminated.

Cargill and Bunge officials could not immediately be reached for comment.

The FDA also stopped a shipment of canola meal from Viterra (VT.TO) on July 13. (Editing by Christian Wiessner)