FSIS ISSUES PUBLIC HEALTH ALERT FOR CHICKEN AND PORK TAMALES CONTAINING FDA-REGULATED DICED TOMATOES IN PUREE THAT HAVE BEEN RECALLED DUE TO POSSIBLE FOREIGN MATTER CONTAMINATION

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FSIS ISSUES PUBLIC HEALTH ALERT FOR CHICKEN AND PORK TAMALES CONTAINING FDA-REGULATED DICED TOMATOES IN PUREE THAT HAVE BEEN RECALLED DUE TO POSSIBLE FOREIGN MATTER CONTAMINATION

WASHINGTON, Nov. 15, 2020 – The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is issuing a public health alert for ready-to-eat (RTE) chicken and pork tamale products containing Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulated diced tomatoes in puree that have been recalled by the producer, due to concerns that the products may be contaminated with extraneous materials, specifically hard plastic. The hard plastic may pose a choking hazard or cause damage to teeth or gums. FSIS is issuing this public health alert out of the utmost of caution to ensure that consumers are aware that these products, which bear the USDA mark of inspection, should not be consumed.

The frozen RTE chicken and pork tamale items were produced between Oct. 22, 2020 and Nov. 9, 2020 by Tucson Tamale Wholesale Co. LLC, an establishment in Tucson, Ariz.  The following products are subject to the public health alert:

• Cases containing eight individually packed tamales with the labels “TUCSON TAMALE GREEN CHILE CHICKEN TAMALE” or “TUCSON TAMALE Green Chile Chicken Tamales” with lot codes F20296 and F20309 and sell by dates of 10/23/22 and 11/05/22.

• Cases containing six packages with two tamales each of “TUCSON TAMALE GREEN CHILE CHICKEN TAMALES” with lot codes F20309 and F20296 and sell by dates of 10/23/22 and 11/05/22.

• Cases containing 30 tamales of “TUCSON TAMALE Green Chile Pork & Cheese Tamales” with lot codes F20303 and F20307 and sell by dates of 10/30/22 and 11/03/22.
• Cases containing eight individually packed tamales of “TUCSON TAMALE GREEN CHILE PORK & CHEESE TAMALE” with lot codes F20307 and F20314 and sell by dates of 11/03/22 and 11/10/22.
• Cases containing six packages with two tamales each of “TUCSON TAMALE GREEN CHILE PORK & CHEESE TAMALES” with lot codes F20303 and F20307 and sell by dates 10/30/22 and 11/03/22.
• Packages containing two tamales of “TUCSON TAMALE GREEN CHILE PORK & CHEESE TAMALES” with lot codes F20303, F20307 and F20302 and sell by dates of 10/29/22, 10/30/22 and 11/03/22.
• Cases containing 30 tamales of “TUCSON TAMALE Green Chile Chicken Tamales” with lot code F20296 and sell by date of 10/23/22.

The products bear establishment number “EST. 45860” inside the USDA mark of inspection. These items were sold online and also shipped to distributors for further distribution to retail locations and restaurants nationwide.

The problem was discovered by Tucson Tamale Wholesale Co. when they identified pieces of hard plastic in the cans of diced tomatoes in puree that they received from their ingredients supplier. The ingredients supplier initiated a recall of the diced tomatoes in puree with the FDA. As more FDA information becomes available, FSIS will update this public health alert.

There have been no confirmed reports of adverse reactions due to consumption of these products. Anyone concerned about an illness should contact a health care provider.

 FSIS is concerned that some product may be in consumers’ freezers. Consumers who have purchased these products are urged not to consume them. These products should be thrown away or returned to the place of purchase.

Consumers and members of the media with questions can contact Sherry Martin, CEO of Tucson Tamale Wholesale Co., at (520) 398-6282.

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 [email protected]. 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/.

Follow FSIS on Twitter at twitter.com/usdafoodsafety or in Spanish at: twitter.com/usdafoodsafe_es.

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