Health Alert Issued Across Multiple States Due to Illegally Imported Meat
The food products are being sold without official USDA inspection marks and are subject to recall, regardless of the product date.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) issued a public health warning for meat products imported from Burma (also known as Myanmar).
The alert applies to various meat and poultry products that were illegally imported from the Southeast Asian nation.
The products were shipped to retail locations in Arizona, California, Iowa, Kansas, Maryland, Minnesota, Nebraska, Oklahoma, and Texas. According to the announcement, the items do not bear an establishment number nor a USDA mark of inspection.
FSIS said there have been no adverse reactions reported from consumption of the items.
“FSIS is concerned that some product may be in consumers’ pantries and on retailers’ shelves. Retailers who have purchased the products are urged not to sell them. 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,” said the agency.
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- 180-g. cans containing “BEST BEEF CURRY.”
- 425-g. cans containing “BEST Chicken Biryani.”
- 360-g. cans containing “Hti Mi Gwik Dry MoHinGa Paste.”
- 425-g. cans containing “BEST Myanmar Duck Blood.”
- 400-g. cans containing “Eain Chak MoHinGa Paste.”
- 160-g. vacuum sealed clear packages containing “Min Thar Gyi Dried Fish.”
- 400-g. cans containing “Eain Chak Coconut Soup Paste.”
Pictures of the Burmese labeling is provided on the agency’s website.
On Oct. 9, the company pulled nearly 10 million pounds of meat products citing bacterial contamination risk. The recall was later expanded to include an additional 1.7 million pounds of products, taking the total withdrawn items to nearly 12 million pounds.
Recalls and Disease Outbreaks
There have been multiple food recalls in recent months, some of which have been linked to deadly outbreaks. In July, Boar’s Head Provisions Co. withdrew more than 207,000 pounds of liverwurst and other deli meat products citing potential contamination with Listeria bacteria. The recall was later expanded to seven million pounds worth of items.
“They don’t occur on a regular schedule so when two events randomly occur within a month or two of each other, it looks like things are getting worse. We might have another big outbreak next month, or it might be several months before food safety is in the news again,” he said.
“Another factor to consider is that the CDC is getting better at linking together cases that might not previously have been linked.”
In order to minimize the chances of food poisoning, Schaffner advised people to ensure their refrigerators are set to 40 degrees Fahrenheit or lower, avoid cross-contamination by washing hands after dealing with raw meat, and use a thermometer to check whether meat is cooked adequately.
