Two of the companies are importers who failed to present their pork products for inspection at the US point of entry. FSIS officials said that without the benefit of full inspection for the products, a possibility of adverse health consequences exists for potential consumers.
The third company directed to recall its product — approximately 8,856 pounds of chicken tamales — was La Guadalupana Wholesale, Chicago, Illinois. The co-packer that was manufacturing chicken tamales for La Guadalupana "did not conduct a hazard analysis to determine the food safety hazards reasonably likely to occur in the vacuum packaging process and did not identify the preventive measures the establishment could apply to control those hazards," according to FSIS.
Agency officials said the problem was discovered by an FSIS inspector, who was conducting a sanitation task in the co-packer’s establishment and saw plant personnel handling the ready-to-eat (RTE) product in a room where raw product is also handled.
An investigation was conducted, and inspectors determined that the co-packer had not conducted a RTE hazard analysis, developed or implemented a Hazard Analysis of Critical Control Points (HACCP) plan for its chicken tamales, or developed and implemented a Listeria monocytogenes testing program. A HACCP plan is especially required for the tamales, FSIS officials said, because "the product is processed by means of physical handling and packaging."
The chicken tamales were distributed for retail sale in Chicago.
Taking stock
Kalle USA, a Chicago, Illinois establishment, is recalling approximately 168,473 pounds of pork products that were imported from Denmark but not presented at the US point of entry for inspection, FSIS reported. The products included pork broth, stock and protein.
Specific products included: “Scan Pork Dp-941 Natural Dehydrated Pork Stock/Natural Dehydrated Pork Broth,” “Scan Pork Dp-1075 Natural Dehydrated Pork Stock Hot Setting” and “Scan Pork Fi-805 Fresh Injection Pork Protein." They were distributed in 13 states: Arkansas, California, Florida, Illinois, Iowa, Kentucky, Minnesota, Missouri, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Virginia, Washington and Wisconsin.
"The problem was discovered using the Public Health Information System (PHIS) during a routine review of import shipment data," FSIS officials said. "It was found that the product failed to present at a Chicago, Ill. point of entry for FSIS re-inspection."
Ham-handed
Food Club Corp. is recalling some 3,233 pounds of pork products that were produced in Spain and released into commerce without being presented for inspection. The importer of record, Food Club Corp. had been based in Los Altos, California, but is now located in Key Biscayne, Florida.
Recalled products include Covap Jamón De Bellota in two forms, whole hams and 2.5-oz. individually wrapped packages that were shipped to customers via the Internet, FSiS officials said.
The affected products were included in six different shipments, with the establishment number “Spain 29” inside the Spain mark of inspection. They have “Sell-by” dates from June 19, 2014 through December 10, 2015.
In this case, too, the problem was discovered using the Public Health Information System during a routine review of import shipment data, according to FSIS officials. "It was found that the product failed to present at a San Francisco, California point of entry for FSIS re-inspection and was detained at a Los Altos, California mailing warehouse facility," they said.