Two of the largest U.S. food processors have issued product recalls—one for an undeclared allergen and the other for the presence of foreign material.
Conagra Brands
On May 4th, the U.S. Department of Agriculture Food Safety and Inspection Service published a recall of Russellville, AR-based Conagra Brands, Inc.’s P.F. Chang’s Home Menu Chicken Pad Thai and Chicken Fried Rice. Approximately 2,094,186 pounds of these frozen entrees because the products contain milk— an allergen that is not declared on the product label. The entrees were produced on various dates between Oct. 1, 2018 and April 11, 2019, with “Best By” dates of Sept. 26, 2019 through April 5, 2020. The products subject to this recall bear establishment number “EST. P-115,” which appears on the panel above the nutritional statement as “P115” along with the best by date. These items were shipped to retail locations nationwide and impacts only the P.F. Chang’s Home Menu Brand products listed. It does not include any product sold at P.F. Chang’s restaurants. The problem was discovered when Conagra Brands, Inc. conducted a routine label verification check and determined that the product did not declare milk on the label. You can see the recalled product labels at FSIS.USDA.gov. There have been no confirmed reports of adverse reactions due to consumption of these products.
Consumers with questions about the recall can contact 1-800-860-3498.
Tyson Foods, Inc.
After an initial recall in March that consisted of 69,093 pounds of product, Rogers, AR-based Tyson Foods, Inc. has issued another recall of approximately 11,829,517 million pounds of frozen, ready-to-eat chicken strip products due to the possible presence of metal pieces. The frozen, ready-to-eat chicken strip items were produced on various dates from Oct. 1, 2018 through March 8, 2019 and have “Use By Dates” of Oct. 1, 2019 through March 7, 2020. The products subject to recall bear establishment number “P-7221” on the back of the product package. These items were shipped to retail and Department of Defense locations nationwide, for institutional use nationwide, and to the U.S. Virgin Islands. You can see the recalled product labels at FSIS.USDA.gov. The problem was discovered when FSIS received two consumer complaints of extraneous material in the chicken strip products. FSIS is now aware of six complaints during this time frame involving similar pieces of metal with three alleging oral injury.
Tyson’s official statement reads:
“Consumers expect that the food they eat is safe. In their best interest and in an abundance of caution we’re taking quick and decisive action to expand this recall,” said Barbara Masters, DVM, vice president of regulatory food policy, food and agriculture for Tyson Foods. “Our company is taking corrective action at the location that makes these products. We have discontinued use of the specific equipment believed to be associated with the metal fragments, and we will be installing metal-detecting X-ray machinery to replace the plant’s existing metal-detection system. We will also be using a third-party video auditing system for metal-detection verification.”
“Safety is at the core of everything we do. We’re committed to producing safe, healthy food that our consumers and customers can rely on every day,” Masters said. “It is unacceptable to Tyson Foods that any product might not meet our standards. Because of these additional consumer reports, we’ve decided to take this precautionary step to make sure that we’re meeting our own expectations and the expectation of consumers.”
Consumers with questions about the recall can contact Tyson Foods Consumer Relations at 1-866-886-8456.
