Over 18,000 pounds of ready-to-eat meat and poultry products have been recalled in response to “sodium nitrite levels that exceed the regulatory limit”
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service was first flagged when company Smith Packing LLC, reported consumers complaining “of products that were off-taste and off-color”
Per a spokesperson from the company’s primary distributor, Smith Packing “immediately shut down production, alerted the USDA and determined the products contained an excessive amount of a curing agent”
Nearly 19,000 pounds of ready-to-eat meat and poultry products are being recalled after customers complained about their the taste and color.
On Tuesday, April 29, Smith Packing, LLC issued a recall of roughly 18,792 pounds of product in response to “sodium nitrite levels that exceed the regulatory limit,” the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced.
The recall accounts for multiple “ready-to-eat sausage and sliced meat and poultry items” that the Utica, New York-based company produced on dates between Feb. 19 and April 24.
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Stock image of deli meats
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The issue was first flagged when the company informed the agency that consumers were complaining “of products that were off-taste and off-color.” There here has been “no confirmed reports of adverse reactions due to consumption of these products,” per the FSIS.
The FSIS has now shared a list of 16 products being recalled, from brands including As-Salaam, Smith Packing, Honest John and Beefland USA. The products include Smith Packing Beef Knockwurst, As-Salaam Beef Breakfast Sausage, Honest John Jumbo Franks, Smith Packing Expert Bologna, Beefland USDA Regular Beef Sausage and As-Salaam Roasted Chicken Sausage Garlic.
They feature the establishment number “EST. 4578” or “P-4578” inside the USDA mark of inspection and were all shipped to locations in New York, according to the FSIS.
“FSIS is concerned that some products may be in institutional and consumers’ refrigerators or freezers,” the agency noted in its release. “Consumers and institutions who have purchased these products are urged not to consume or use them. These products should be thrown away or returned to the place of purchase.”
Those concerned about illness should contact their healthcare providers, per the FSIS.
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Beef Smoked Sausage Links label
In a statement shared with PEOPLE, a spokesperson for Palmer Foods — the primary distributor — shared that it learned on April 24 that “certain foods” produced by its vendor, Smith Packing, were “inedible.”
“Smith immediately shut down production, alerted the USDA and determined the products contained an excessive amount of a curing agent,” the company said.
“In coordination with the USDA, Smith agreed to a recall covering about 18,000 pounds of meat products labeled as Honest John’s, As-Salam and Beefland that may have been affected,” the statement continued. “Approximately 90% of that product never left the warehouse, and approximately 34 customers were identified who received potentially inedible meats. Palmer is working with those customers to recover and destroy any potentially affected product.”
Per the Palmer Foods spokesperson, all customers have since been contacted as of Tuesday, April 29 and there has been “no information that any consumers were sickened.”
“Palmer will continue to work with the USDA and follow all applicable guidelines and procedures. Palmer demands and enforces the highest-possible safety practices in all its manufacturing lines, and it’s a credit to our employees and partners that this relatively minor issue was identified and mitigated quickly.”
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