Two companies have been ordered to recall meat products because they were produced without the benefit of an inspection by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).
The first is Wegman’s, a family-owned business based in Rochester, New York. Wegman’s operates primarily in the central and western parts of New York. In the 1990s the chain expanded into Pennsylvania and New Jersey.
Santa Clara, California-based Neto’s Sausage Company is the second establishment to recall meat products.
Strangely, both companies have been in business for a long time, meaning they are not new to the rules and regulations governing the inspection of meats and foodstuffs produced in the U.S. In both recalls, the FSIS recall notices are classified as Class I recalls, meaning the health risk is high.
Neto’s Sausage Company recall
Neto’s is recalling 7,600 pounds of beef, pork and chicken products covering 23 different sausage products that were manufactured over the past year without USDA inspection. “The sausage items were produced on Dec. 28, 2014, through Dec. 28, 2015. The recalled products bear establishment number “EST. 9027” and “EST 6086” inside the USDA mark of inspection,” according to the recall notice.
A list of the specific products affected by the recall notice can be found by going to the FSIS/USDA website. “The problem was discovered during routine FSIS in-commerce surveillance activities,” says the FSIS.
Consumers with questions about the recall can contact Neto’s Sausage President, Ed Costa, at (408) 296-0818. The company’s website was “temporarily offline” on Jan. 7.
Wegman’s Food Market Inc recall notice
Wegmans Food Markets Inc. is recalling about 1,125 pounds of chicken products that were produced without the benefit of federal inspection, according to the recall notice.
The chicken products being recalled were produced on Jan. 3, 2016. The products include:
1. Approximately 1-lb. vacuum-sealed packages containing “Wegmans Italian Flavored Chicken Breast Cutlet” with a use-by date of 1/24/2016.
2. Approximately 1-lb. vacuum-sealed packages containing “Wegmans Brown Sugar Barbecue Seasoned Chicken Breast Cutlet” with a use-by date of 1/15/2016.
3. 3-lb. vacuum-sealed packages containing “Wegmans Garlic & Fennel Whole Chicken Roaster” with a use-by date of 1/13/2016.
4. 1-lb. vacuum-sealed packages containing “Wokery Sherry Chicken 27482” with use-by date of 1/13/2016.
The recalled products bear the establishment number “EST. or P-7567” inside the USDA mark of inspection. The products were shipped to distribution and retail locations in Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, and Virginia.
The problem was discovered by FSIS inspectors during a review of the establishment’s production records. It was found the company changed their production schedule, producing these products outside the approved hours of operation. Consumers with questions about the recall should call Wegmans Consumer Affairs Department at 1-(800)-934-6267, ext. 4760.
With all the products affected by the two recall notices, consumers are urged to not consume them and to either throw them out or return them to the place of purchase. No illnesses have been reported.