FSIS Issues Public Health Alert for Ready-to-Eat Pork Snack Stick Products Due to Misbranding and an Undeclared Allergen

Congressional and Public Affairs
Maribel Alonso (202) 720-9113
[email protected]

WASHINGTON, Dec. 17, 2020 – The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is issuing a public health alert for ready-to-eat (RTE) pork snack stick products due to misbranding and an undeclared allergen. The product may contain milk, a known allergen, which is not declared on the product label. FSIS is issuing this public health alert out of the utmost of caution to ensure that consumers with allergic reactions to dairy are aware that these products should not be consumed. A recall was not requested because the pork products were sold directly to individual members of the public and it is believed that the affected products are no longer available to be directly purchased from the establishment.

The RTE product labeled as “Country Meats HOT BBQ Flavor Smoked Pork Snack Sticks” may actually contain Chili Cheese flavor pork snack sticks and was produced on November 6, 2020. The following products are subject to the public health alert: [View Label (PDF only)]

• 1-oz. individual units of “Country Meats HOT BBQ Flavor Smoked Pork Snack Sticks In Colored Casing Smoke Flavoring Added” with best-by date “11/06/2021”.

The products bear establishment number “EST. 17433” inside the USDA mark of inspection. These items were sold online to individual customers who further sold the product as a fundraiser item.

FSIS is concerned that some product may be in consumers’ pantries.

The problem was discovered when the producing establishment received consumer complaints reporting cheese in the Hot BBQ flavored snack sticks. There have been no confirmed reports of adverse reactions due to consumption of these products. Anyone concerned about an illness should contact a health care provider.

Consumers with food allergies who have purchased these products are urged not to consume them. These products should be thrown away.

Consumers with food safety questions can call 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. Consumers can also browse food safety messages at Ask USDA or send a question via email to [email protected]. For consumers that need to report a problem with a meat, poultry, or egg product, the online Electronic Consumer Complaint Monitoring System can be accessed 24 hours a day at https://foodcomplaint.fsis.usda.gov/eCCF/.