Officials have issued an eight-item public health alert about the illegal importation of corned beef and chicken from the Philippines.
Food Safety and Inspection Service, a division of the United States Department of Agriculture, is warning stores not to sell the products and advising customers to dispose of them properly due to the potential for contamination.
As part of their regular monitoring operations at a store on Wednesday, FSIS discovered Filipino meat and poultry items, prompting them to issue the notice.
Despite being sent to eateries and shops in nine different states—Virginia, North Carolina, Ohio, Delaware, Maryland, and New York—the items’ packaging does not reveal their country of origin.
There was a warning that some of the goods may end up in people’s homes, restaurants, and stores. Please do not sell these items to any retailers that have already bought them. Everyone who has purchased these items, including restaurants, should not eat or serve them.
Due to the USDA’s inability to verify whether the items were adequately heated to prevent viruses of concern to domestic poultry and livestock, consumers are encouraged to double bag the product before discarding it. This will decrease the likelihood that animals may get their hands on the product.
According to the advisory, there have been no documented instances of adverse reactions to the items, so anyone worried about becoming sick should see a doctor.
The public health notice applies to the following items irrespective of their expiration date:
-One hundred fifty grams of “Argentina BRAND CORNED BEEF.”
-175-gram can of “Argentina BRAND CORNED BEEF.”
-260-gram can of “Argentina BRAND CORNED BEEF.”
-One hundred and fifty grams of “PUREFOODS CORNED BEEF.”
– 210-gram can of “PUREFOODS CORNED BEEF.”
– 150 gram can of “chunkee corned beef.”
-One hundred ninety-gram can of “chunky corned beef.”
-7.43 ounces jar of “Lady’s Choice Chicken Spread.”
According to FSIS, they will continue to investigate how the items entered the nation.
