November 6, 2019

USDA announces recall for 22 tonnes of poultry products due to failure to undergo re-inspection process

The US Department of Agriculture has issued a class I recall of approximately 22 tonnes (43,848 pounds) worth of poultry products distributed by the company Cay Thi Queentrees Food USA, Newsweek reported.

The agency announced a health risk associated with the consumption of these products after it was discovered they had been imported and distributed without going through the USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) import re-inspection process.

The recall affects some poultry products, which entered the US on January 2, 2019 and January 25, 2019 before being shipped to stores in California and sold through internet and catalog sales.

In addition to failing to go through the usual food inspection processes, the products came from Vietnam - a country that is not "eligible" to export poultry products to the US or any meat products aside from catfish.

While there have been no reported incidents of individuals experiencing adverse health reactions from consuming the product, the agency has declared it a class I recall—referring to "a health hazard situation where there is a reasonable probability that the use of the product will cause serious, adverse health consequences or death."

Anyone affected by the recall notice is advised to throw the poultry products away or return them to the store of purchase.

Of the 1,114 outbreaks reported by the US Foodborne Disease Outbreak Surveillance System between 1998 and 2012, a quarter (279) were linked to poultry. This was the highest number of outbreaks from any one food product.

Poultry was also responsible for the highest number of illnesses and hospitalisations and the second highest number of deaths of any food product.

- Newsweek