More than 5,000 pounds of frozen beef products have been recalled. The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced Wednesday that Menu19 LLC recalled its frozen beef dumpling products. However, the recall was not issued for common reasons of potential contamination. Rather, the products were recalled after it was determined they were produced without the benefit of federal inspection.
Per the FSIS recall notice, approximately 5,001 pounds of product are included in the recall. The recalled frozen beef dumpling products were produced from November 2020 through October 23, 2022, and shipped to restaurants and retail locations in California. The products were distributed in 1.5-lb. cartons containing 12 pieces of “Mantu menu19.” They feature UPC 86000524010 but do not bear the USDA mark of inspection because Menu19 LLC is not a federally inspected establishment.
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The FSIS explained that the issue regarding the recalled products was discovered “during routine FSIS surveillance activities in retail stores.” That routine surveillance “determined that the Mantu beef dumpling products did not have the USDA mark of inspection and were produced in an establishment that was not inspected by USDA.” There have been no confirmed reports of adverse reactions due to consumption of these products, though the FSIS said it is concerned the product may be in consumers’ freezers. Consumers who purchased the recalled Menu19 LLC frozen beef dumpling products should not consume them. These products should instead be thrown away or returned to the place of purchase.
The recall is a bit of an outlier. While the frozen beef dumpling products were recalled because they were produced without the benefit of federal inspection, most recalls tend to be the result of possible contamination, whether that be bacterial contamination like listeria or salmonella or contamination by a foreign material, such as plastic. Such was the case for Krunch, Butter, and Romaine whole-head variety lettuce, which was recalled by Kalera Public Limited Company earlier this month due to possible salmonella contamination. November alone has seen numerous similar recalls, with the FDA advising consumers against eating Giant Food Private Label Sockeye Smoked Salmon due to the fish having the potential to be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes. Other recalls over contamination issues have touched everything from holiday popcorn to chicken breast and even dipping caramel, the latter of which was recalled due to the presence of undeclared wheat in the product, a food contamination that could make the product potentially life-threatening for those who suffer from a wheat allergy.
