FSIS Recalls Over 60,000 Pounds of Chicken Products Nationwide Due to Undeclared Allergens
A renowned Georgia-based food company has issued a nationwide recall of more than 60,000 lbs of chicken food over health concerns. The company in question is Suzanna’s Kitchen, which has pulled back its products from restaurants across the U.S. due to an undeclared allergen: soy. About 62,550 pounds of its eight-piece cut, fully cooked, bone-in, breaded chicken product was found to contain soy without an allergen warning or indication on the product labels, as per the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS). Not including allergen warnings on product labels can lead to people consuming items they are severely allergic to. According to the Cleveland Clinic, soy allergy can cause stomach problems, cough, itching, and even cause anaphylaxis in severe cases.
Suzanna’s Kitchen notified the FSIS that its chicken products containing soy have been mislabeled with a non-allergen-containing product code. On December 12, the agency announced the recall of the "18-pound cases containing four units of Fully Cooked Breaded Chicken Portions" with code P-1380 126237 B30851 23:11 K04. The "8-piece cut, bone-in breaded chicken portions" include the USDA mark of inspection on the label along with establishment number P-1380. Although immediate action has been taken, the agency fears that some restaurants may still have the affected products in their freezers or refrigerators. The FSIS urges restaurants not to serve the affected product and to check the side of the products for details. If the product and establishment codes match those revealed by the FSIS, then the product is mislabeled.
Fortunately, no adverse allergic reaction related to the product has been reported yet. However, if the consumers are concerned about an injury or illness, the agency advises seeking medical consultation. Some of the symptoms may include hives, stomach cramps, indigestion, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. In severe cases, the allergic person may experience tightness in the throat, itching, and breathing difficulty. The FSIS conducts regular checks to ensure that the company that issued the recall has properly informed its customers. It also ensures that the recalled products are removed from storage, shelves, or sale so the consumers can't purchase them. The agency will soon share a complete list of retail distributors, allowing the public to see where the recalled items may have been sold.
In case of any queries, the consumers can reach out to the company's Customer Service Director, Dawn Duncan, via dduncan@suzannaskitchen.com. Media outlets eager to cover the story can contact Craig Pate, the Chief Financial Officer of Suzanna’s Kitchen, at cpate@suzannaskitchen.com. For any questions regarding food safety, customers can contact the company's toll-free USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline at 888-MPHotline: 888-674-6854 or email their queries at MPHotline@usda.gov. "For consumers that need to report a problem with a meat, poultry, or egg product, the online Electronic Consumer Complaint Monitoring System can be accessed 24 hours a day at https://foodcomplaint.fsis.usda.gov/eCCF/," the agency added.
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