More than 30 tons of cooked chicken have been recalled in the U.S. due to a major health risk.
Suzanna’s Kitchen, based in Georgia, has announced a nationwide recall on approximately 62,550 pounds of fully cooked, bone-in breaded chicken products, according to an announcement from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS).
The recall is due to misbranding and an undeclared allergen. The product contains soy, a known allergen, which is not present on the label.
The recall affects eight-piece cut, bone-in breaded chicken portions dispatched in 18-pound cases. The cases had four units of the FULLY COOKED BREADED CHICKEN PORTION, with the case code “P-1380 126237 B30851 23:11 K04” printed on the side of the packaging.
Products that are subject to the recall have the USDA mark of inspection on the case’s label and establishment number “P-1380” printed on the side of the package.
The issue was discovered after Suzanna’s Kitchen told FSIS that it “identified chicken product containing soy that had been mislabeled with a non-allergen containing product code,” according to the announcement.
The recalled cooked chicken was shipped to restaurants nationwide. While no illnesses have been reported to date, the FSIS is concerned that restaurants still have the product in their freezers and is urging businesses to throw the chicken away immediately.
Soybeans are identified as one of the nine major food allergies in the U.S., along with wheat, eggs, fish, Crustacean shellfish, tree nuts, milk, peanuts, and sesame. Allergic reactions to these nine foods vary but can involve “hives and lip swelling to severe, life-threatening symptoms, often called anaphylaxis, that may involve fatal respiratory problems and shock,” according to the FDA.
In October, another popular chicken product was recalled. Hormel Foods recalled nearly 4.9 million pounds of its frozen boneless chicken products distributed to restaurants, cafeterias, and other commercial food outlets.
The recall came after customer reports of metal fragments found in chicken breast and thigh products. FSIS said Hormel traced the contamination to a damaged conveyor belt used during production. No injuries or illnesses have been reported. The products are only sold to food service companies, not directly to consumers.
There have been many different food recalls in the U.S. this year due to allergy risks. Last month, Silvestri Sweets Inc. recalled two different varieties of its Choceur-branded Holiday Barks — Cookie Butter flavor and Pecan, Cranberry & Cinnamon flavor — both sold at Aldi.
The recall was initiated after it was discovered that there was a packaging mix-up, as the Cookie Butter Holiday Bark was placed in the Pecan, Cranberry & Cinnamon packaging and vice versa. Because of the packaging error, the cookie butter bark may contain undeclared pecans, and the other bark may contain undeclared wheat, posing the risk of “serious or life-threatening allergic reactions” to consumers allergic to the ingredient.
