FSIS Issues Public Health Alert for Ready-To-Eat Diced Chicken Products Due to Misbranding and an Undeclared Allergen

Unreported Allergens

WASHINGTON, July 8, 2020 – The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is issuing a public health alert because BrucePac, a Durant, Okla. establishment, distributed approximately 16,800 pounds of ready-to-eat (RTE) diced chicken products that were misbranded. The product may contain soy, a known allergen, which is not declared on the product label, due to potential cross contamination. A recall was not requested because the affected product is not available for consumers to purchase. The RTE diced chicken items were packed on June 22, 2020. The following product is subject to the public health alert: 25-lb. cardboard boxes containing 5-lb bags of “GRILLED SEASONED NATURAL DICED CHICKEN BREAST WITH RIB MEAT” with a CODE DATE: 06110D and PACK DATE 06/22/20. The product bears establishment number “51205/P-51205” below the USDA mark of inspection. The product was handed out to consumers in the Fort Worth, Texas area as part of a food bank program on June 29, 2020. The problem was discovered by the firm during a product documentation review where they realized that there was potential cross contamination with marinade containing soy. 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 could be in consumers’ refrigerators or freezers. Consumers who received these products should be aware that they may contain soy. Consumers who have these products are urged not to consume them. These products should be thrown away. Consumers and members of the media with questions about the public health alert can contact Monica McLaughlin, Director of QSFS at BrucePac, at mmclaughlin@brucepac.com or 503-874-3024. Consumers with food safety questions can call the toll-free USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline at 1-888-MPHotline (1-888-674-6854) or live chat via Ask USDA from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. (Eastern Time) Monday through Friday. Consumers can also browse food safety messages at Ask USDA or send a question via email to MPHotline@usda.gov . For consumers that need to report a problem with a meat, poultry, or egg product, the online Electronic Consumer Complaint Monitoring System can be accessed 24 hours a day at https://foodcomplaint.fsis.usda.gov/eCCF/ .