Thanksgiving season is already disrupted by the pandemic, and now health experts are issuing warnings on foods that could bring more risk.
With a staggering coronavirus death toll of more than 255,000 and a recent surge all over the nation of daily new cases, the Thanksgiving season already looked different from what it was previously. According to CNN, people are facing a new threat that brings about some potential risk on several food items as announced by USDA.
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In a bulletin published by Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS), they mentioned that they are issuing a health alert out of caution to ensure that consumers are aware that the said products should not be consumed. The food products belonged to manufacturer Tee Yih Jia (TYJ) Food Manufacturing and were given the health alert due to an undeclared allergen and misbranding.
In addition, they also stated that the products might include ingredients like milk, a known allergen, that was undeclared on the product labels. The products included in the health alert advisory are the following:
One of the food items on the list is the chicken and beef samosas Tee Yih Jia (TYJ) Food Manufacturing. It was reported to have spring roll pastries that had a recall issued by its manufacturer. Misbranding and an undeclared allergen were the reason for the health alert as per FSIS.
Additionally, the items were produced from November 11, 2019 through November 11, 2020, and were shipped to California, New York, and Texas.
Another food item is the chicken and pork tamales, which had a recall from its producer Tamale Wholesale Co. The reason behind it was due to concerns that the products may be contaminated with foreign materials, specifically hard plastic. These pieces of hard plastics were reportedly found in cans of diced tomatoes in a puree. Health experts say that these pose a choking hazard or cause damage to teeth or gums. Moreover, in coordination with the FDA, the ingredients supplier also recalled the diced tomatoes in a puree.
The frozen, ready-to-eat chicken and pork tamales were produced between October 22, 2020 and November 9, 2020 and were distributed nationwide.
Imported beef stock from Wegmans Beef Culinary Stock is also one of the health alert items since they were not presented for import re-inspection into the US. The products were imported around November 5 and shipped to retail locations in Massachusetts, New York, and Pennsylvania. However, as per reports, a recall was not requested since it is believed that the affected product is no longer available for consumer purchasing.
Lastly, TAKE HOME MEALS SPAGHETTI & MEATBALLS IN MARINARA SAUCE is also on the list due to being contaminated with foreign material, specifically metal. These meatball items were produced on October 1, 2020, and were used in the production of spaghetti and meatball in marinara sauce products from October 17, 2020 through November 1, 2020.
Additionally, these were shipped to retail locations in Iowa, Minnesota, and Wisconsin. However, a recall was not requested since the products are no longer available for consumers to purchase.
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