Chicken and Rice Soups Recalled

More than 16,000 pounds of soup are being pulled from store shelves after an undeclared allergen prompted a multi-country recall. A recall notice from U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) on Wednesday alerted consumers that MSI Express Inc. has recalled Unilever Food Solutions chicken and rice soup mix products due to the presence of milk, which was not included on the label of ingredients.

The focus of the recall is 1.29-pounds, or 583-gram, plastic pouch packages containing “KNORR PROFESSIONAL SOUP du jour RED THAI STYLE CURRY CHICKEN WITH RICE SOUP MIX.” The recalled soup has “best by” dates of January 19, 2024 for products distributed in the United States and April 26, 2023 for products distributed in Canada. The products bear establishment number “P- 44055″ inside the USDA mark of inspection and were produced Jan. 19 and 31 before being distributed in the United States and Canada to professional food service trades such as restaurants, cafeterias, fast food chains, and sports stadiums, as well as through online sales. Approximately 16,498 pounds of the Unilever Food Solutions product is affected by the recall.

Per the notice, the recall was prompted after the Grand Prairie, Texas establishment performed allergen testing validation on finished soup and determined “that the finished soup tested positive for dairy, an allergen that was not declared on the product label, due to the establishment receiving the incorrect ingredient component.” This means the products pose a potentially life-threatening risk to some consumers. Milk allergy is one of the most common food allergies in children, according to Mayo Clinic, which notes that signs and symptoms of a milk allergy differ from person to person and occur a few minutes to a few hours after consumption of milk or a milk product. They range from mild to severe and can include wheezing, vomiting, hives and digestive problems. In some instances, milk consumption can cause anaphylaxis, a life-threatening reaction that narrows the airways and can block breathing. Mayo Clinic notes that “milk is the third most common food – after peanuts and tree nuts – to cause anaphylaxis.”

The FSIS noted that while there have been no confirmed reports of adverse reactions due to consumption of the recalled soups, there is concern that consumers, restaurants, and food service locations may still have the product. Consumers who purchased the product are advised not to eat them. The recalled products should instead be thrown away or returned to the place of purchase.