While there may be a partial shutdown of the federal government in the United States, the Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is on the job. It has announced recalls of two widely distributed retail frozen food products in the United States due to possible foreign matter contamination.
Sheboygan Falls, Wisconsin-headquartered Johnsonville LLC is recalling approximately 48,371 pounds of raw ground pork patties that may be contaminated with black rubber, following complaints received from three consumers. The quarter-pound Cheddar Cheese & Bacon Flavor Grillers were packed in units of six per 680-gram box on September 27, October 17 and 18, 2018. Each bears establishment number “34225” printed on the carton’s end “Best Flavor By” dates of July 24, August 13 and 14, 2019.
The patties were shipped to retail locations in 31 states. No other Johnsonville products are affected by this recall.
Meanwhile, Perry, Georgia-headquartered Perdue Foods is recalling approximately 68,244 pounds of ready-to-eat chicken nuggets due to the possibility that a small number of packages may contain pieces of wood.
Produced on October 25, 2018, and distributed in 22-ounce plastic bags, the gluten-free Simply Smart Organics Breaded Chicken Breast Nuggets have a “Best By” date of October 25, 2019, and a UPC bar code of 72745-80656.
“After a thorough investigation, we strongly believe this to be an isolated incident, as only a minimal amount of these packages has the potential to contain pieces of wood. Out of an abundance of caution, we have decided to recall all packages produced during the same product run,” said Jeff Shaw, Perdue’s vice president for quality assurance.
There have been no confirmed reports of adverse reactions associated with eating either the Perdue chicken nuggets in question or Johnsonville’s pork patties. However, anyone concerned about an injury or illness related to consumption should contact a healthcare provider.
Persons who have bought these products are urged not to eat the food, but discard or return packages to the place of purchase for a refund.
