On Wednesday, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service announced an expansion of the Aug. 6 recall by South River, NJ-based Al Shabrawy Meat Inc. of an undetermined amount of baster, sausage, soujouk, salami, mortadella, makanek, and bologna products due to misbranding and undeclared allergens. The expansion of the recall is based on evidence provided by the Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) that all package sizes and brands of the products produced during the initial recall dates of Jan. 1, 2015, to Aug. 4 this year are misbranded as described in the initial recall. Some of the products contain pistachio nut and soy, known allergens, which are not declared on the product label. The basterma, sausage, soujouk, salami, mortadella, makanek, bologna, Lahmajun meat pie, and other sausage-like items were produced on various dates between Jan. 1, 2015, and Aug. 4 this year. The following products are subject to recall:
- “TAZAH, SULTAN, & YORUK SLICED BASTERMA” – cryovaced and weighed at the time of sale
- “AL MARAAI, AL HALU, BAROODY, & AL SHABRAWY SLICED AND WHOLE BASTERMA” – cryovaced and weighed at the time of sale
“AL SHABRAWY, TAZAH, & BAROODY MAKANEK” – cryovaced and weighed at the time of sale
- “TAZAH EGYPTIAN STYLE FRESH SAUSAGE” – cryovaced and weighed at the time of sale
- “AL SHABRAWY FRESH SAUSAGE” – cryovaced and weighed at the time of sale
- “BAROODY & SULTAN DRIED SOUJOUK” – cryovaced and weighed at the time of sale
- “SEVAN LAHMAJUN” – cryovaced and weighed at the time of sale
- 1-lb. plastic tubes (chubs) of “AL SHABRAWY PLAIN, OLIVE, & BLACK PEPPER SALAMI”
- 5-lb. plastic tubes (chubs) of “AL SHABRAWY PLAIN, OLIVE, & BLACK PEPPER SALAMI”
- 1-lb. plastic tubes (chubs) of “AL SHABRAWY OLIVE & PISTACHIO MORTADELLA”
- 5-lb. plastic tubes (chubs) of “AL SHABRAWY OLIVE & PISTACHIO MORTADELLA”
The recalled products are printed with “EST. 19160” inside the USDA mark of inspection. These items were shipped to retail locations and wholesalers in California, Florida, Illinois, New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania. The problem was discovered during an ongoing FSIS investigation at the establishment following a complaint to the agency. The major public health concerns include listing hydrolyzed plant protein in the ingredient statement of the beef bologna and beef mortadella, but not specifying that soy, an allergen, is the source of that protein. Also, the beef mortadella products did not declare pistachio nut, an allergen, on individual package ingredient statements, although some cases of the product display a sticker stating “Pistachio” was in the product. FSIS also found that beef salami and beef bologna products contained poultry ingredients and a sausage product tested positive for Red Dye #40, which is not declared on product labels. Additionally, raw beef trim, designated for cooking only, was used in raw non-intact finished products. There have been no confirmed reports of adverse reactions due to consumption of these products. Anyone concerned about an injury or illness should contact a healthcare provider. Consumers who have purchased these products are urged not to consume them. These products should be thrown away or returned to the place of purchase. FSIS and the company are concerned that some product may be frozen and in consumers’ freezers. FSIS routinely conducts recall effectiveness checks to verify recalling firms notify their customers of the recall and that steps are taken to make certain that the product is no longer available to consumers. When available, the retail distribution lists will be posted on the FSIS website.
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