FSIS Issues Public Health Alert Concerning Ineligible Meat and Poultry From China
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) recently issued a public health alert regarding an undetermined amount of meat and poultry products imported from China that have not gone through U.S. import inspection. FSIS is unable to request a recall because the importers of the uninspected meat have not been found. Though the amount of meat and poultry imported without inspection is still unknown, the current products which have been identified as part of the concerned lot are listed here.
The issue was realized when the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) discovered that the meat and poultry products did not bear an eligible establishment number on their packaging. In addition, these products were not presented to the FSIS for import reinspection, as is the requirement for importation of food products. Consequently, these products are not eligible to be sold for consumption in the U.S..
Any retailers in possession of the products provided above should not sell them. Any consumers in possession of these meat or poultry products are urged to dispose of them properly by wrapping them in two plastic bags, in order to protect against animals accessing them. The USDA cannot ensure that this meat and poultry has been properly heated to protect against pathogens harmful to domestic livestock and humans, and therefore, it is important to dispose of it properly.
To date, there have been no reports of adverse effects linked to the consumption of these products. Should anyone develop an adverse reaction which they believe may be linked to the consumption of the ineligible meat and poultry from China, they should contact a healthcare provider. Any questions regarding the ongoing investigation of the ineligible meat and poultry imported from China or food safety questions may be directed to the the toll-free USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline at 1-888-MPHotline (1-888-674-6854) or live chat via Ask USDA from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. (Eastern Time) Monday through Friday.
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/fsis-public-health-alert-ineligible-000600498.html
