Smithfield Packaged Meats Corp. Dba Margherita Meats Inc. Recalls Pepperoni Products Due To Possible Bacillus Cereus Contamination - 12/15/21
WASHINGTON, Dec. 14, 2021
Smithfield Packaged Meats Corp., doing business as Margherita Meats, Inc., an Omaha, Neb. establishment, is recalling approximately 10,990 pounds of ready-to-eat (RTE) pepperoni products that may be adulterated with Bacillus cereus (B. cereus), the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced today.
The RTE unsliced pepperoni product was produced and packaged on June 17, 2021. The following products are subject to recall [view label]:
- 8-oz. plastic shrink-wrapped packages containing unsliced pepperoni “Margherita PEPPERONI” with lot code P1931C and a “use by date” of 12-14-21 represented on the label.
The products subject to recall bear establishment number “EST. 19” inside the USDA mark of inspection. These items were shipped to retail locations nationwide.
The problem was discovered when the Department of Defense notified FSIS that they found B. cereus during routine product testing.
- cereusis a toxin-producing microorganism that causes diarrhea and vomiting in people. Those with compromised immune systems are at risk for more severe illness. Vigorous rehydration and other supportive care including antibiotics are the usual treatment.
There have been no confirmed reports of adverse reactions due to consumption of these products. Anyone concerned about an injury or illness should contact a healthcare provider.
FSIS is concerned that some product may be in consumers’ pantries or refrigerators. 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.
FSIS routinely conducts recall effectiveness checks to verify recalling firms notify their customers of the recall and that steps are taken to make certain that the product is no longer available to consumers. When available, the retail distribution list(s) will be posted on the FSIS website at www.fsis.usda.gov/recalls.
Media with questions regarding the recall can contact Jim Monroe, Corporate Affairs, Margherita Meats Corp., at (703) 559-1875. Consumers should call the Margherita Consumer Affairs Hotline at (844) 342-2596.
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* We believe that none of the product being recalled were processed or offered through the national office
* We strongly encourage you to notify your agencies within one business day from receipt of this notice.
* ALL cased and uncased inventories, both at the member level and agency level, need to be checked. This product may have entered member and agency warehouses through salvage, local donations, TEFAP, local purchases, retail pickups, food drives, or other avenues.
* For additional local details, please contact the Health Department(s) for the area(s) your food bank serves.
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About Feeding America Recall Notices
The Feeding America national office issues notifications of all national Class I and II recalls–those involving a health hazard situation in which there is reasonable probability that eating the food will cause health problems or death–and other recalls that may affect the safety of food supplied to network members.
The national office strongly encourages all member product solicitors, operations managers, and others involved in food and grocery distribution to regularly consult resources provided by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) at http://www.fda.gov/opacom/7alerts.html, and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) at http://www.fsis.usda.gov/Fsis_Recalls/index.asp. Additionally, members can often receive information on national, state, and local recalls by contacting their local health departments.
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