The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) has issued a public health alert for ready-to-eat (RTE) chicken and pork tamale products.
The products contain Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulated diced tomatoes in puree that have been recalled by the producer, due to concerns that the products may be contaminated with extraneous materials, specifically hard plastic.
The hard plastic may pose a choking hazard or cause damage to teeth or gums. FSIS is issuing this public health alert out of caution to ensure that consumers are aware that these products, which bear the USDA mark of inspection, should not be consumed.
The problem was discovered by Tucson Tamale Wholesale Co. when employees there identified pieces of hard plastic in the cans of diced tomatoes in puree that they received from their ingredients supplier. The ingredients supplier initiated a recall of the diced tomatoes in puree with the FDA.
The frozen RTE chicken and pork tamale items were produced between Oct. 22, 2020 and Nov. 9, 2020 by Tucson Tamale Wholesale Co. LLC, an establishment in Tucson, AZ.
- Cases containing eight individually packed tamales with the labels “TUCSON TAMALE GREEN CHILE CHICKEN TAMALE” or “TUCSON TAMALE Green Chile Chicken Tamales” with lot codes F20296 and F20309 and sell by dates of 10/23/22 and 11/05/22.
- Cases containing six packages with two tamales each of “TUCSON TAMALE GREEN CHILE CHICKEN TAMALES” with lot codes F20309 and F20296 and sell by dates of 10/23/22 and 11/05/22.
- Cases containing 30 tamales of “TUCSON TAMALE Green Chile Pork & Cheese Tamales” with lot codes F20303 and F20307 and sell by dates of 10/30/22 and 11/03/22.
- Cases containing eight individually packed tamales of “TUCSON TAMALE GREEN CHILE PORK & CHEESE TAMALE” with lot codes F20307 and F20314 and sell by dates of 11/03/22 and 11/10/22.
- Cases containing six packages with two tamales each of “TUCSON TAMALE GREEN CHILE PORK & CHEESE TAMALES” with lot codes F20303 and F20307 and sell by dates 10/30/22 and 11/03/22.
- Packages containing two tamales of “TUCSON TAMALE GREEN CHILE PORK & CHEESE TAMALES” with lot codes F20303, F20307 and F20302 and sell by dates of 10/29/22, 10/30/22 and 11/03/22.
- Cases containing 30 tamales of “TUCSON TAMALE Green Chile Chicken Tamales” with lot code F20296 and sell by date of 10/23/22.
These items were sold online and shipped to distributors for further distribution to retail locations and restaurants nationwide.
As of now, there have been no confirmed reports of adverse reactions due to consumption of these products. Anyone concerned about an illness should contact a healthcare provider.
FSIS is concerned that some product may be in consumers’ freezers. 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.
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