USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) has issued a public health alert for heat-treated, not fully cooked, not shelf stable, spaghetti, and meatballs in marinara sauce products due to concerns that the products may be contaminated with extraneous material, specifically metal.
The metal was discovered by consumers who then contacted the company. Their complaints were about metal embedded in meatballs in Kwik Trips, Inc., Spaghetti and Meatball in Marinara Sauce products. There have been no confirmed reports of injuries due to the consumption of these products. Anyone who’s been hurt should contact a health care provider.
FSIS said the public health alert was issued out of the utmost caution to ensure that consumers are aware that these products should not be consumed. A recall was not requested because it is believed that the products are no longer available for consumers to purchase.
The meatball items were produced on Oct. 1, 2020, and then utilized in the production of spaghetti and meatball in marinara sauce products from Oct. 17, 2020, through Nov. 1, 2020. The products subject to the public health alert are:
- 15.5-oz. plastic containers of “TAKE HOME MEALS SPAGHETTI & MEATBALLS IN MARINARA SAUCE” with “10/17/20 – 11/1/20” packaging dates and an “EXP DATE 10/25/20 – 11/9/20” on the products’ labels.
The products bear establishment number “EST. 20852” inside the USDA mark of inspection. These items were shipped to retail locations in Iowa, Minnesota, and Wisconsin.
FSIS is concerned that some product may be in consumers’ refrigerators. Anyone concerned about an illness should contact a health care 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.
Kwik Trip is a convenience store chain founded in 1965 with locations throughout Wisconsin and Minnesota under the name Kwik Trip, and in Iowa under the name Kwik Star. The company also operates stores under the name Hearty Platter, Tobacco Outlet Plus, and Kwik Trip/Kwik Star Express
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