As many new food items hit the supermarket shelves, several are simultaneously being pulled from stores. Over the last week, multiple food companies have issued food recalls for reasons ranging from possible contamination and undeclared allergens to violating federal inspection rules.
While none of the recalled products are currently being sold, they were distributed recently, so you’re going to want to double-check your kitchen. Here’s the lowdown on five new recalls announced by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) this week.
On Jan. 31, Conagra Brands issued a recall of more than 2.5 million pounds of canned meat and poultry because of a “packaging defect that may cause the products to become contaminated without showing any outward signs of contamination.” The recall applies to items sold nationwide under the brand names Armour, Goya, Grace, Great Value, Hargis House, Hereford, Kroger, Prairie Belt, and Valrico, all of which have the establishment number “P4247” on the cans.
According to the FSIS, Conagra Brands alerted the agency of the issue after someone noticed “spoiled and/or leaking cans from multiple production dates at the establishment’s warehouse.” See here for the full list of recalled products and here for images of the labels.
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Conagra Brands wasn’t the only company to pull meat products from the shelves this week. On Jan. 29, Daniele International recalled nearly 53,000 pounds of ready-to-eat salami, pepperoni, prosciutto, and other sausage-containing products because they may be contaminated with listeria.
The implicated items, which were shipped to retailers nationwide between Dec. 23, 2022, and Jan. 17, 2023, display the establishment number “EST. 54” inside the USDA mark of inspection. See here for product label images.
Rao’s, the Italian food brand known for its widely celebrated premium pasta sauce, recently made headlines—but this time, for its soup. On Jan. 27, parent company Sovos Brands Intermediate issued a voluntary recall of Rao’s Chicken & Gnocchi Soup because some of the jars may contain Rao’s Vegetable Minestrone Soup, which includes egg as an ingredient. The product’s mislabeling could pose a risk to those with an egg allergy or severe sensitivity.
According to the FDA’s notice, “The product is packaged in a 16-ounce, clear glass jar marked with the following code date printed on the top of the jar: Best By NOV 15 2024 EST 251 Code Date 2320 MDV 046030Z009, UPC 747479400015.” Additionally, the soups were distributed to retail stores in 32 states between Dec. 8th, 2022, and Jan. 27th, 2023.
More ready-to-heat items bite the dust. On Jan. 31, Wild Cajun Meals pulled more than 18,000 pounds of frozen, fully-cooked Lady Jambalaya Homemade Jambalaya and Gumbo from the shelves because they were “produced without the benefit of federal inspection.”
According to the announcement from the FSIS, the problem was detected during routine FSIS surveillance activities when the agency concluded that the products didn’t have the USDA mark of inspection and were produced in an establishment that wasn’t inspected by the USDA. The jambalaya and gumbo have various sell by dates and were only distributed to Louisiana and Texas. See here for product label images.
Moving into beverages, on Jan. 30, Two Rivers Coffee issued a voluntary recall of its peanut butter single-serve hot chocolate pods due to undeclared peanuts. The recall applies to Brooklyn Bean Peanut Butter Cup Hot Cocoa, Pingo Peanut Butter Cookie Hot Chocolate, and Cold Stone Peanut Butter Cup Perfection, which were packaged in 12-count, 40-count, and 100-count boxes that were produced between January 2021 and November 2022 and distributed nationwide and online.
See here for the full list of recalled products, which have “Best by” dates of January 2022 through December 2024.
Brianna Ruback
